Our efforts to improve the medical evacuation service has been boosted with the employment of a general practitioner (doctor).
MAMA Foundation is proud to have onboard a young and vibrant Dr Stacey Kalopei, who is well experienced in attending to rural patient cases, and has conducted a number of critical and life-saving surgeries during her residency.
"I started my science foundation in 2015 at University of Papua New Guinea, and got selected to do Bachelor of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBBS) in 2016 as a class of 2016-2019. I graduated in November 11 2020 with my degree," Dr Kalopei said in an interview.
She got her temporary license to practice in the same year (2020), which is a requirement when she did her residency. Residency is usually two years long.
"I did my residency program at ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital around July 2020 and completed in January 2023. I did a number of obstetrics and gynecological surgeries whilst doing my O&G and rural rotations."
Through her residency, she ensured much of her knowledge and learning was from experienced gynaecologist and obstetrician specialists in Lae. To prove her confidence and competency, Dr Kalopei conducted more than 10 major surgeries with supervisors, and a total of 26 minor surgeries alone.
Dr Kalopei officially joined MAMA Foundation in May, 2023, and did her first official medevac flight on May 19, 2023. The case was a mother with Severe Anemia Sepsis and second degree retained placenta, a gynaecology complication. The mother was airlifted from Menyamya Health Centre to Lae in P2-BIB, the TruCare Helicopter.
MAMA Foundation Director Mr Jurgen Ruh said having a doctor onboard all medevac flights, or on-site at the Lae heliport for patient care, was a vision he had for quite some time.
"We are finally making it happen and this is for the good of patients that we medevac. Dr Kalopei will work side by side with our flying nurses, to ensure that all the patients we medevac get the best pre-hospital care that they deserve." Ruh said.
Dr Kalopei loves seeing the good outcome and recovery of patients, a spirit everyone at MAMA Foundation share in common.
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