Story and pictures by Oil Search Ltd
Four-year old Sosa Sammy hung on tightly to her dad as they disembarked from a helicopter at Oil Search’s Moro logistic base on Tuesday.
She has just completed her first ever helicopter ride – a 15 to 20-minute flight from her Huiya village in Mt Bosavi – one of the worst hit areas by the February 26 earthquake.
Sadly, she was travelling with a fractured arm.
Sosa was evacuated to the Moro clinic by the Oil Search emergency medical response team who identified her injury during their visit, taking in food, other relief aid and medicine, as well as conducting on the spot medical assessments of patients at all locations they are visiting.
Oil Search to date has visited 24 villages and conducted on the spot medical treatments and health assessments.
According to Sammy, his family was fast asleep when their house, a traditional kunai grass thatched roof started shaking. Everyone panicked and ran out of the house, he himself jumping to the ground from the veranda.
Sosa was fast asleep and was left behind, but as the house continued to shake, she woke up and tried to find her way out.
She started calling out to her parents, as she tried to walk down the steps to them but with the continuous shakes, she lost balance and fell awkwardly, landing on her hands.
“She started crying in pain, calling my name,’’ Sammy said.
"Amidst all the panic and confusion, I went to find her and found her crying in pain.
“I tried to comfort her and keep her steady, not knowing whether the earthquake would continue or not, at the same time trying to keep my family together. I felt totally lost and hopeless for my family.’’
The Oil Search emergency response team visited Huiya on Sunday March 11th but could not stay long due to bad weather. Sammy told the team about young Soma’s condition.
The team returned to Huiya on Tuesday
when the weather improved.
Sosa was administered some painkillers and advised to wait for the helicopter to arrive.
“Tenk yu Oil Search, na tenk yu long ol dokta na nurse ol kam lukim mipla na helpim Sosa. Sapos ol ino kam, mi no save long wanem samtin bai kamap long pikinini blong mi. (Thank you Oil Search, thank you to the doctor and nurse that came to see us and help Sosa. If they didn’t turn up, I don’t know what I would do with my child,’’ Sammy said in Moro.
Sosa is now recovering at the Moro clinic and will have a cast placed on her hand.
Oil Search has now visited more than 80 villages dropping of relief aid and providing medical assistance where required.
The company’s Moro clinic has attended to more than 166 patients, with seven evacuated to Port Moresby and five to Mendi and Tari respectively.
Four-year old Sosa Sammy hung on tightly to her dad as they disembarked from a helicopter at Oil Search’s Moro logistic base on Tuesday.
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| Young Soso Sammy with her dad at the Oil Search clinic at Moro. |
She has just completed her first ever helicopter ride – a 15 to 20-minute flight from her Huiya village in Mt Bosavi – one of the worst hit areas by the February 26 earthquake.
Sadly, she was travelling with a fractured arm.
Sosa was evacuated to the Moro clinic by the Oil Search emergency medical response team who identified her injury during their visit, taking in food, other relief aid and medicine, as well as conducting on the spot medical assessments of patients at all locations they are visiting.
Oil Search to date has visited 24 villages and conducted on the spot medical treatments and health assessments.
According to Sammy, his family was fast asleep when their house, a traditional kunai grass thatched roof started shaking. Everyone panicked and ran out of the house, he himself jumping to the ground from the veranda.
Sosa was fast asleep and was left behind, but as the house continued to shake, she woke up and tried to find her way out.
She started calling out to her parents, as she tried to walk down the steps to them but with the continuous shakes, she lost balance and fell awkwardly, landing on her hands.
“She started crying in pain, calling my name,’’ Sammy said.
"Amidst all the panic and confusion, I went to find her and found her crying in pain.
“I tried to comfort her and keep her steady, not knowing whether the earthquake would continue or not, at the same time trying to keep my family together. I felt totally lost and hopeless for my family.’’
The Oil Search emergency response team visited Huiya on Sunday March 11th but could not stay long due to bad weather. Sammy told the team about young Soma’s condition.
The team returned to Huiya on Tuesday
when the weather improved.
Sosa was administered some painkillers and advised to wait for the helicopter to arrive.
“Tenk yu Oil Search, na tenk yu long ol dokta na nurse ol kam lukim mipla na helpim Sosa. Sapos ol ino kam, mi no save long wanem samtin bai kamap long pikinini blong mi. (Thank you Oil Search, thank you to the doctor and nurse that came to see us and help Sosa. If they didn’t turn up, I don’t know what I would do with my child,’’ Sammy said in Moro.
Sosa is now recovering at the Moro clinic and will have a cast placed on her hand.
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Oil Search’s Dr Alben Yama shows young Soso some pictures to ease her into a clinic environment, away and outside of her familiar surroundings at Huiya village.
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Oil Search has now visited more than 80 villages dropping of relief aid and providing medical assistance where required.
The company’s Moro clinic has attended to more than 166 patients, with seven evacuated to Port Moresby and five to Mendi and Tari respectively.
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