By CHRISTOPHER YANDAWAI
TALKS are underway within the cycles of Papua New Guinea Christian Leaders Alliance (PNGCLA) on HIV & AIDS Secretariate to acquire a fleet of Albatross Amphibian Aircraft from Amphibian Airspace Industries (AAI) Pty Limited in Northern Territory of Australia, Darwin.
PNGCLA has initiated this project purposely for humanitarian work given the many prevailing challenges that PNG continue to face, especially in the areas of HIV & AIDS, health & medical, people transport, and natural disasters.
Currently, PNGCLA is in close contact with the management of the AAI to discuss how this lifechanging project can be delivered for PNG.
According to a correspondence to the chairman of AAI from the PNGCLA dated 30th October 2022, PNG stands at cross-roads of being slowly decimated by HIV with its increase over the last decade stood at 30%.
PNGCLA believes, with the Albatross being the wind beneath its wings, it will ensure that the PNGCLA’s response to PNG’s dire health situation can be sustained and implemented even better, coordinating the response with clear leadership of PNG at all levels.
Apart from the serious concerns HIV poses in PNG, the PNGCLA expressed that the country’s low infant mortality rate was another important health issue, which Albatross aircraft can help assist by addressing them.
“One in three babies die at birth delivery stage in many of the remote villages in PNG. An Albatross with a nurse and a doctor flying from village to village can greatly improve this statistic,” PNGCLA expressed.
Moreover, PNGCLA explains that medical supplies and health programs can be delivered faster, more efficiently, and in a more cost-effective manner as opposed to current methods. This in turn improves living standards particularly in current and future pandemics.
The Church Alliance further stressed, the Albatross will be able to access areas in remote regions without airfields close to the coast or lakes within the country.
PNGCLA said natural disasters in PNG remain another prevalent challenge as the island sits along a volatile seismic strip called the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific.
“We are one of the most hazard prone countries in the world and is regularly exposed to both geohazards and meteorological hazards,” PNGCLA explained.
“Located in one of the world’s most complicated tectonic settings, our country experiences small earthquakes every day, and large earthquakes frequently, with a severely damaging earthquake occurring every few years. There is a constant danger from earthquakes, which can be followed by tsunami warnings.”
While past natural disasters in PNG had triggered a request for increased support from Geoscience Australia in providing advice on hazard monitoring and management, PNGCLA believes that logistically, having the G-111T Albatross Amphibian Aircraft will change the landscape of search and rescue missions during any one of those natural disasters.
“A transport category amphibian aircraft that can land on water as well as a small strip of clear land will definitely allow more people to be accessed and helped. More lives can be saved and it will reduce the recovery time to rebuild the affected areas to be in a state of being reasonably operational.”
To be able to save lives in what may possibly be the world’s first Air Hospital in the GlllT Albatross Amphibian Aircraft is just deeply moving and provides a sliver of hope in the face of continuing challenges of seismic proportions.”
“All these sufficiently demonstrates why we keenly welcome the use of the G-lllT Albatross Amphibian Aircraft and the ways we know it will help alleviate many of the challenges we have been facing connecting communities within our diverse and topographically-challenged nation,” said PNGCLA.
“We feel that any program Australia deploys to assist PNG must touch the hearts and minds of the people. With the Albatross, it directly affects the people and therefore it will directly affect how they see Australia as a country.”
In response to PNGCLA’s request, AAI has agreed and honored to brining the project Albatross to PNG to commence the groundbreaking humanitarian work.
