Medical Materials for Bougainville

Last month our first sea container of medical equipment arrived in Kieta, Bougainville. With our modus operandi tried and proven we embarked upon a much more ambitious mission. The main contributors to these works are again the Brisbane Bougainville Community Group, the management of leading OEM, Volvo and a small cell from our Bougie picnic reunion fraternity. Along the way we were supported by Rotary International, Ruswin Locksmiths, Curtains Bros, Consort Shipping, Batta Signs and several other individuals and organisations. The original plan for our North Queensland adventures only remained in place for a couple of days. Subsequent to this we were obliged to plan as we progressed? The quantities of materials and the degree of difficulty in stuffing the containers varied constantly.

You will read elsewhere of the spectacularly successful fund raising by the BBCG. Add to this the ongoing generosity of the Bougie picnickers and we have a strong foundation for further good works and above everything else we have a wonderful cause.

How did all of this begin? Just in passing, at our 2014 Bougainville picnic, former BCL veteran, Cliff Pollock, now of the Dept. of Health, advised that some surplus materials were becoming available from Mackay Hospital. In hindsight I was rather too hasty in pressing my mates at BBCG to purchase a container. The goodies did not become available until many months later. It was then that another obscure connection came into play. Father Chris Kestore of the BBCG advised me that his friend, Dr Chris Millar from Murwillumbah Hospital, had more donated materials than were immediately required for the Namuga Hospital, in the Eastern Solomons. Much of the contents of the first container came from this source. We have a gentleman's agreement in place that we will reciprocate with similar assistance for Namuga.

Cliff and his people, across 8 of his hospitals could not have been of more assistance to us. Some of the individuals are mentioned below. Prior to detailing the journey to you we will speak of a remarkable contribution of our sea container pack out crews. The all - important heavy lifting contribution was dominated by Alan Wilkins from Volvo and Ted Rogalski from B16 Crew One? Ted is from Mandurah, WA. We hijacked him subsequent to the picnic. Also from Crew One, we had Ken Mills from Hay Point and Kiwi McDonald from Brisbane. Their technical skills were invaluable as we broke down the heavier electronic hospital furniture. Many times over the several days of the project our team members worked well beyond what would normally be expected of any Mining Sector staff member, in his / her 20's. Our average age was in the 60’s!

We worked from Brisbane to Townsville and we had a window of only a few days. Some roads we travelled several times including the Bowen - Townsville leg. We commenced our journey proper at 5.30 am on Sunday the 31st May, when the escort vehicle (the Davidson`s family Tarago) met the Volvo Renault Kerax container handler / truck at the Caltex, in Blacksoil, on Ipswich Road. The Renault was already loaded with a 20 ft container. Subsequent to a full day`s drive across 848 km`s of country Queensland we trundled into Clermont. We were advised that what the Clermont Motor Inn lacked in ambience was well compensated for with their superior fair and this proved to be quite accurate.

We were standing by ready to load from Monash Lodge at 7.00 am. Our resourceful Kiwi mate dismantled a section of the hospital fence to provide us with better access to the goodies there. Late morning we loaded up and moved, just around the corner, to the Clermont Hospital. By the time we departed Clermont the container was half full. At Clermont we were made welcome by Liz Livingstone and her staff and this became a general aspect of our journey and our interface with Dept of Health staff. We were later than planned into Moranbah and once again there was more material than anticipated. It was Michelle Esler and her staff who cared for us in Moranbah. Subsequent to Moranbah, we travelled for the rest of the day to Hay Point and into the, quite overwhelming, hospitality of the Mills family. There was a spread of seafood fit for a king. Ken had already gathered the surplus materials from the Sarina Hospital and it was stored in his garage. At Sarina Ken liaised with Loraine Kerr. We made an early start into Mackay on the Tuesday, allowing us to commence the pack out about 8.30 am. We could only fit half of the available materials from Mackay into the Brisbane container and then we then set sail for the Curtains yard, in Townsville. Once again our program was turned on its head and we were obliged to think on our feet. This evening (Tuesday) at the Colonial Rose Motel (Bowen Road, Townsville) was the last conventional sit down meal that we enjoyed. Until we concluded our works on the Friday we were either driving or loading. Passengers in the Tarago were usually sleeping. To take full advantage of the resources, both HR and the world class Volvo plant, we purchased 2 further containers from Royal Wolf Trading. Alan`s log book was beginning to look rather "crowded". In a week of hard work and much heroics the heroics of our Renault Kerax skipper went to another dimension. To relieve the pressure we were fortunate to have access to another Volvo staffer in Dean Hartley. Dean supported us in the Renault, on a leg between Townsville and Bowen. We used Townsville as our base. We gathered almost a full load from the Collinsville and Bowen Hospitals. When we headed south for the final load we were obliged to take in Proserpine, Mackay and Hay Point. We jumped into the truck at 2.30 am Thursday and Alan dropped me into the family, in Rockhampton at 4.30 pm on the Friday. Alan then spent this night in Gingin and he was home in Brisbane for breakfast. I have not mentioned the performance of the Renault. While lacking somewhat in comfort when not under load; there is not a single other aspect of its performance that left anything to be desired.

The Dept. of Health staff continued to provide us with every possible support. On the first entry to Mackay Hospital we were received by Chris Hopf, Jeff Davies and Kelly Haidle. The second time around we were hosted by Cliff. In speaking with Jeff we found that he had spent time in aviation in New Britain, PNG. At Proserpine we were attended by Tracey Bluck and Hector Phillipson. In Colllinsville it is Breen Austin and Anne Buckingham that we have to thank. In Bowen we will maintain close contact with Kevin and Pauline Maude and Ann Barton. Also, in Bowen, we connected with the President of Bowen Rotary, Helen Woodhouse. Helen heads the Bowen Blue Nurses. One thing that we learnt during the journey was the importance of correct and safe tying down our load. Helen may be able to assist us with some expertise in this regard when we come to pack out the remaining container.

For the week we clocked 4873 km`s.

With the weird hours that we were keeping we never got to meet with Stan. However we were often reminded that he was watching over us. On many of the town signings was the comforting sign, "under surveillance of Ruswin". Since our departure Stan has connected us with the management of the Townsville Hospital.

We have 3 full containers sitting with our friends at Curtains and a fourth container sitting empty in the grounds of the Bowen Hospital. The Dept. of Health is awaiting a delivery of beds at which time some 19 further beds will become available. At Curtains we enjoyed the support of Wolf, Peter, Karl and Craig. To decide on a target destination for this final load of beds we will seek counsel of our DG, George.