Tragedy in remote PNG: Premature triplets die before Medevac reaches mother

A remote Markham woman has been flown to Lae for treatment after giving birth to premature triplets, who all died before an emergency evacuation could reach her.

The mother was evacuated from the Onga-Waffa local level government area by Manolos Aviation and arrived in Lae shortly after 10am today.

The babies were born at about eight months of pregnancy and died within hours of each other despite efforts by health workers at the local facility.

Manolos Aviation chief executive and pilot Captain Jurgen Ruh said one baby died last night, while the other two died at about 9am today.

“None of the babies survived. One of the babies died last night and the other two died this morning at nine o’clock,” captain Ruh said.

He said the outcome may have been different if the emergency call had reached the evacuation team earlier.

The case highlights the difficulty of providing emergency maternal and newborn care in remote communities, where patients can be hours away from hospitals with specialised facilities.

The mother was brought to Lae for further medical treatment following the loss of her three babies.

The evacuation was carried out under Manolos Aviation’s MAMA Medevac program, which provides emergency air transport for patients in isolated parts of the country.