SARAWAK FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE, FDS, (by helicopter) & a snake for dinner

The Flying Doctor Service, FDS may be part of the somebody’s strategy to deliver health care and to reach out to the rural communities of Sarawak. The junior medical officer together with a team of medical staff are routinely despatched in the morning by helicopter to various remote sites. One day in 1983, such a team left Kapit Hospital on their usual tour of duty. The medical team did their usual rounds of dispensing creams, paracetamol, anatacids etc. While at Long Jaik, the Filipino pilot was unable to re-start the helicopter as the “battery is flat”. This also meant that we were cut off from the outside world in the deep jungle near Kalimantan. The members of the team included myself, Medical Assistant, Health Sister and Senior midwife.

As we usually returned to our base in Kapit towards the later part of the afternoon, usually around 5.30 pm, nobody took notice of our absence until it was dark. We came to understand that the Divisional Medical Officer, DMO was frantic, trying to organise a rescue mission as so many of her staff were on the “ill fated” helicopter. Apparently, the control tower in Kuching could not do anything as it was already dark.

The nurses spent their night in the heli while the 3 men found a safe (from wild animals) open spot near the river. It was also convenient to be near the river! As we did not expect to be stranded, we were left with very little resources. River water was very clear in those days and we managed to catch fishes to barbeque for dinner. We picked wild ferns (actually a Sarawakian vegetable delicacy now, but luckily not for the Penans) as vegetable dish, frying them in an empty tin. The iodised salt meant for dispensing came in handy. We remembered very vividly that a snake came by to visit us the next morning and we had to sacrifice it and took as part of our breakfast! We made “goreng pisang” from the wild bananas.

The local inhabitants were Penans and although they were friendly, they were unable to help with our predicament. Their staple food was wild sago. We decline their offer of sago, which was to be shared from the same source with their chicken!

We were given to understand that a rescue mission was organised the following morning after a small plane spotted our helicopter. A helicopter came in the afternoon, well stocked with emergency supplies (blankets etc.) for any eventuality, courtesy of DMO. As I was single and working alone, the event passed by with hardly any fuss. Subsequently, I realised that there have been helicopter fatalities. Certainly, the authority should review to see whether it is right and cost effective to send naïve young medical officers for such missions.

3.1.2006
by CLCM

Note: The above article by Dr Clarence Lei was received by email - don't ask me why the good doc did not blog this directly since he'd already registered as a contributor. The kay-po Blog Administrator added in the cartoons ...