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| Dr Liz Walsh caring for the injured hand of a young girl named Elvis, with the help of solar lights from Kokoda Track Foundation. |
In July 2013, a medical team including two doctors (Alice Lee and Liz Walsh) and three nurses (Melissa Kermeen, Jodee Wise, Sue Huntley) travelled to the remote Barai tribe in Papua New Guinea. They vaccinated 3000 people from several villages against Hepatitis B virus.
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| Solar cells are left to charge during the day for use in the clinics at night |
Many preparations were taken before the trip. One of the steps taken was the purchasing of hand-held solar lights. They are charged completely by sunlight and have an operating life of over a year. After using the lights for clinics, the team left them behind to be distributed to people in the community.
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| Dr Alice (pictured front) triages patients by the light of the solar cells. Depending on their condition, the patients may be directed to have more thorough medical examination/treatment as well as a standard immunisation given to all. |
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| Patient's height is recorded with the aid of a solar cell |
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| Sue Huntley and Alice Lee (pictured from left to right) holding the solar cells. As seen in the image, the surrounding area is virtually pitch black. |
Each solar light costs less than $10AUD. Donations were made by individuals to support the cause, including those from an earlier Trivia Night fundraiser held in 2013.
The villages around Itokama where the team held their clinics has no running water and no electricity. It is surrounded by dense rainforest and the walking paths are rocky and make travel difficult. After nightfall the area is plunged into near complete darkness.
Sustainable and simple technology like these solar cells are vital to improving the everyday lives of communities like these. Let's hope modern innovation continues to be put to good use.
B Free, B Aware, B Well.
