Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i
Floating hospital operated by Youth with a Mission
By Mark Rigby
MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, Feb. 8, 2016) – For people living in some of Papua New Guinea's most remote areas, the nearest hospital is often one that arrives by sea.
With up to 100 volunteers on board, the merchant vessel Youth with a Mission, or MV YWAM PNG, travels from far north Queensland to Papua New Guinea (PNG) delivering medical aid to those who may otherwise go without.
Put simply, it is a floating hospital, the reality is a lot more.
"In PNG, us being able to provide for them in a small way can change their whole life," Ella Bouman, one of the ship's volunteer nurses, said.
"Just having a conversation or doing a clinical assessment can change their life, especially in ophthalmics or eye surgery."
Two patients can...