Ships, Radio And Planes Aid Two

Mercy Missions

Isolated Women

CIO-ORDINATION of radio, marine ) and aerial activities was the keynote in two recent mercy missions in the Pacific.

The medical services of Fiji played a notable role in each mission, which involved women who received urgently needed medical assistance.

The first call for assistance was on July 21 from lonely Pitcairn Island, 3,500 miles east of Fiji, where the patient was gravely ill with an internal haemorrhage.

Four ships came into the picture as appeals for assistance went out over the air from Ham operators.

Port Melbourne, 1,800 miles away, had a doctor and necessary medical supplies on board, but she could not reach Pitcairn until Friday, July 26.

As a flying-boat was out of the a.uestion because it could not land due to lack of sheltered waters, efforts were made to locate HMS Warrior, an aircraft carrier, which had been at Christmas Island.

Unfortunately, Warrior was too far away to be of any practical assistance, although her captain offered help from the medical staff.

Then there was a stroke of luck when the Port Wyndham came in with a message saying she could reach Pitcairn 26 hours before Port Melbourne.

In addition, the Port Wyndham was carrying a doctor and medical supplies.

Nearer still to Pitcairn, but with out a doctor, was the Liberian ship, Scherzo. She carried blood plasma and the necessary staff to administer it.

So Scherzo made for Pitcairn, landed the plasma and the staff, and after she received it the patient made such good progress that she no longer required a doctor, Ships making for Pitcairn were then able to resume their normal courses.

A few days later, the NZ Shipping Co.s’ Ruahine made a routine call at Pitcairn. The ship’s doctor ex amined the patient and found that she had made a good recovery, Before the blood-plasma arrived, Dr. P. W. Dill-Russell. Director of Medical Services in Fiji, radioed treatment instructions to Pitcairn, This was skilfully carried out by

a trained male-nurse, Pastor I Hawkes, of the Seventh Day Ao ventist Mission, THE second call for assistance ws from the Funafuti area, Gilber and Ellice Group, where Mr Margaret Banchick, 29, a Melbourn nurse, became ill. It was original]; thought that she had acute appen dicitis.

Mrs. Banchick was travelling i the cargo ship, Sonoma, on whic her husband is radio operator.

In this mission the RNZAF, base at Laucala Bay, Fiji, and a medic?; team from the SWM Hospital, Buw played vital roles.

A Sunderland flying-boat und* the command of Flying-Officer V, Willis, with Dr. P. B. Thompson AMP Etika and Staff Nurse Serawa left Laucala Bay at 2 p.m. on JuL 23 and arrived at Funafuti, abou 600 miles away, four hours later: The most dangerous part of ttJ mission followed when a Gilbertes launch took the medical team to tW Sonoma, 10 miles away, through waters studded with reefs and corr heads. This trip was made in darW ness.

Alongside the ship the seas wen so rough that Dr. Thompson ha to be hauled aboard on a life-line?

The doctor found the patient i no immediate danger, and it ws unnecessary then to perform a operation.

At daybreak, Mrs. Banchik ws placed on a stretcher and put mt a life-boat. The 1i f e-b oat ws lowered and then lashed to tH launch for the journey to calmu waters inside the lagoon.

Mrs. Banchick was then tram ferred to the launch for the rr mainder of the trip to the Sunde:e land.

The Sunderland had an uneventf 1 trip back to Laucala Bay.

Mrs. Banchick was then admitte to the CWM Hospital, and her cor dition was greatly improved. M operation was necessary.

Once again the people of tH Pacific had it brought home to thee the vital importance of radio times of emergency.

Ham operators played their par During the whole period amateur maintained contact over an arr from Fiji in the west to Pitcaiii in the east, and from New Zealan in the south, north-west to CaL fornia.

On the official network signar were exchanged between Fiji an. the Admiralty in London, and be tween the Admiralty and HM/ Warrior in mid-Pacific. t A Suva basketball team is i present touring New Zealand, ar.i has an itinerary of 23 games to g»? through in 31 days. The team 16 is made up of 10 Fijians, thrn Europeans, one Chinese, one Indian and one Rotuman.