We received an urgent call from our nearest neighbours for assistance to keep Baptist hospitals open in rural Papua New Guinea.
Baptist World Aid advised that they received an urgent email from their Baptist partners in Papua New Guinea:
‘We don’t know where the funding will come through to help our three hospitals, but we will need financial assistance for all PPE for our workers. Our hospitals, Tinsley, Telefomin and Kompain, care for rural people and the virus is spreading so fast. BUPNG is struggling.’
The Baptist-run hospitals do not have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for their frontline staff and because of this are facing closure. Our neighbours and fellow Baptists have run out of swabs, sanitisers, surgical face masks and other essential equipment that keep hospital workers safe – things we take for granted in Australia.
Almost 40,000 people in the region surrounding Tinsley Hospital, will be affected unless the hospital receives emergency funds. The virus is spreading across the entire population right now and many more will be infected.
But because God has been so gracious to us in Australia, we have the opportunity right now to give out of our abundance to ensure these hospitals can stay open and health workers have what they need.
Our partners at Baptist Union Papua New Guinea (BUPNG) have already confirmed with suppliers that the protective personal equipment is available and can be secured and distributed within a week. They’re also working to make sure information and awareness reach the people so they can get the care they need.
One partner said:
‘ The board chair of the Telefomin Baptist Hospital in the Sandaun Province is in isolation and thanks for your prayers. I am sure he will recover from it. We don’t have any testing facilities at Telefomin and it’s only fly in and fly out so it’s hard for our staffs to do swabs on suspected patients out there. But we will get through this soon.’
So how can you help? Pray! Then please consider giving now to help fund Personal Protective Equipment through this link.
Please pray for our PNG neighbours this coming Sunday and consider organising a special offering for our PNG hospitals.
PNG Is closer to mainland Australia than Tasmania. And God has given us a unique opportunity to act immediately to help our neighbours through this COVID-19 crisis.
Thank you so much for your gifts and prayers. By helping Tinsley, Telefomin, and Kompain hospitals, we will continue the long Baptist tradition of loving our neighbours.
