Nine children and their guardians have returned home after successfully undergoing life-saving heart surgery in Port Moresby, with help from Air Niugini. The most recent group includes three children from Tari in Hela Province, siblings Undialu (8) and Rickson Philip (10), and their cousin Nathan Handape (10).
On Friday, 11th July, Air Niugini’s CEO Gary Seddon, along with senior executives, David Glover and Judy Kuk visited the children at Port Moresby General Hospital before they flew back to Tari on Sunday. All the children were born with heart conditions that needed urgent surgery.
Mr. Seddon said, “We’re proud to play a small part in giving these children a second chance at life. The real heroes are the doctors, nurses, guardians, and the Operation Open Heart Foundation. He also acknowledged the other supporters of this tremendous program.”
Families and doctors thanked Air Niugini for their support. Dr. Kone Sobi, Director of Medical Services, praised the teamwork between local and overseas doctors, Air Niugini, and other sponsors. Dr. Noah Tapaua also thanked the airline for years of support, including helping to transport medical equipment.
Last year, Air Niugini helped doctors travel around the country to screen over 700 children for heart problems. From that, 58 children were identified for surgery—33 for open heart and 25 for closed heart operations.
Air Niugini has been supporting Operation Open Heart since 1993, from flying in medical teams and equipment, to raising funds and helping children in need.
