NAB Injections

Natives Die Af[?] NAB Injections

(SEVENTEEN natives of

remote village on

Middle Ramu valley, NG,

reported to be dead following

jections of NAB given for y

by a native Medical Assistan

In early September an Admi tration patrol was on its way to village of Faita.

The patrol includes Mr. T. I of Madang, who will conduct coroner’s inquiry, and a patholoi Dr. E. Graggs, of Lae. They flying to Dumpu airstrip and Y a 2-days’ walk to the village, wl is on the banks of the Ramu, about 4-days’ walk from Mada; First reports indicate that August 18 the native Medical Ass ant was making a routine med patrol in the district, of which is a native, and was injecting IS solution for yaws. The orderly had 18 months’ training at an ministration medical school.

He injected 24 Faita people v a solution which he made up \ water from a coconut, and wit an hour five of them had died.

Many of the patients began vor ing and some entered a coma. ' orderly set off to walk to Mad for help, and later the Lululai of village went off to Madang report that within 5 days of the jections a total of 17 of the 24 1 died.

Cause of the tragedy will not known until the coroner reports meanwhile samples of the N powder used by the medical ass ant are being sent to Port More for testing.

It appears the water from coconut could have been the ca of the tragedy as water not fr from a newly opened nut is incc patible with human blood. 1 coconut water could also have be§ fermentation.

The P-NG Department of Hea rules that only double distil water be used for injections 8 has forbidden the use of coco:' water. (In its original state wit. the nut, coconut water is a ste; fluid and during the war and emergencies it has been use for jections).

Mr. Harold Corrigan, who di on July 18, at Buma Mission Malaita, BSIP, was born in N Zealand in 1895. He went to t Solomons in 1950 to establish hi pitals at Roman Catholic Miss; stations. His death occurred on t fourth anniversary of his arrivs He is survived by his wife, who remaining for the present at Bui Mission to carry on her work the Mission schools.