Caption: Thomas Arua posing for a picture with a nurse from
the ship.
By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, September 21, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
Thomas Arua, 58 made the long journey from his village upon hearing the visit of the Chinese military medical ship, with the hope of having the cataracts in both his eyes removed.
“I had cataracts in both eyes, I was at the village and I heard that the boat was coming on Thursday, so on Friday I went down to the Taurama Military Hospital and I saw the Doctors down there who issued special papers for me and I have been here ever since Friday (September 11).”
“I lost my sight about two years ago, I’ve been wearing glasses but then the cataracts took over my sight and I didn’t have the funds to undergo surgery to remove them.”
“It is a once in a lifetime chance for me to have my sight back.”
Sitting proud upright in his bed, Mr Arua was one of the first to benefit from the goodwill visit that has touched close 4,600 people living in Port Moresby and the Central Province.
“I am the longest admitted patient here since the ship started its operations in the city, because they had to operate on both eyes,” he said.
“Friday I came in had to stay overnight- Saturday they operated on my right eye, stayed till Sunday and on Monday they operated on the other eye, they had to keep me under observation.”
“I feel great that now I can see far and I want to thank the team- they work all day and they attend to people even in the middle of the night, I’d like to thank in particular the eye doctor that worked on me, Dr Liu, who has been very caring.
He made reference to his observation of the professional personal patient care attitude that he had never experienced anywhere in his lifetime.
“We are all made to feel that we matter individually and not just another patient to get through for the day,” Arua added.
While thanking the government and military of China, the Waima man also made a call for the country to embrace the same concept in having such a ship to make a difference in short time spans that he said would help the less fortunate.
“I think we should have something similar to this ship- with the operation of the LNG Project currently underway I think we should have enough funds now to afford such a vessel for our country.”
“All I can say is that Papua New Guinea has the finance now- it is only a matter of putting the finance in the right place to serve the people.”
“If it means we have to inject more into health well do so, or whatever the people really need.”
Off course there was a technical hiccup on Thomas’s part were he could not let his family back home know that he had gained his sight and was fine, due to his mobile battery being flat.
“Unfortunately my phone battery went out and I cannot contact them, nor can they contact me, but they will be overjoyed to see that I have my sight back.”
A good surprise for his family indeed and for all those that were treated also on the Ark Peace medical ship.
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