By Radio And Plane
p. 63 · Read in the full issue
Medical Help for Papuan Sufferer
ON Saturday, June 10, a vessel on the Upper Fly River, in the interior of Papua, hundreds of miles from a white settlement, reported that a Euro pean aboard appeared to be suffering from acute appendicitis.
At 5 a.m. on Sunday, a seaplane in charge of Mr. Cannon, with Dr. Jenkins as passenger, left Port Moresby. It re fuelled at Daru, in the far west of Pa pua, and then flew several hundred miles up the Fly River, until it found the ves sel. It alighted beside the ship, the patient was transferred to the plane, and a few minutes later the plane departed.
It got back to Port Moresby just before dusk, and the patient was taken imme diately to the hospital and to skilled treatment.
A few years ago, before radio and aviation were used in the Islands, that man would have been dead, and per haps months before word of his plight could have reached the outside world.
Lady Scott, wife of Sir Henry Milne Scott, of Fiji, departed from Sydney by the “Orontes” in mid-June on a visit to Europe.