Update 12th October 2016

Yesterday (Tuesday) Kaylene and I drove to neighbouring Swaziland with Dr. Roger & Katy Pacholka for a final meeting with Ministry of Health representative, hospital administrator and senior Doctors from the two hospitals we will be collaborating with for our new 'sight flight' program starting there in a couple of weeks.

It turned into a bit of a long day (14 hours by the time we got back home) but the outcome of the meeting is very encouraging and we also scored a bunch of maps donated by the govt surveyor office. This sort of collaboration between two non-government hospitals, eye specialist, ministry of health and government departments is apparently a new thing in Swaziland and to combine it with an 'Aviation service for health care delivery' is such a historic event that they now want a media day during our first week of op’s here.

Due to the lack of grand welcome signs, we made do with this one at the border.

13 yr old Tizoneca and his brother were both cutting the grass with slashers in the school playing field – part of a kids’ role here. They got a bit close and Tizoneca’s brother hit him in the heel with his slasher, cutting his Achilles tendon! We medevac’d him out last time. He got stitched up, cleaned up and back to Luawe. However, in between visits the wound had become infected. Joel had to bring him out again last week.

Joel getting Tizoneca and his dad strapped into the heli for the 25 minute trip to Marromeu hospital.  3 or 4 days trekking & canoeing wasn’t an option.

Thank you

Dean and Kaylene
For the Mercy Air team