Medevac Responds to 22-Year-Old Mother with Retained Placenta in Remote Aiwambe in Menyamya District, Morobe Province | 23 October 2025

A 22-year-old mother was successfully airlifted at 5pm from Aiwambe Village, on the Menyamya–Eastern Highlands border, after suffering serious complications following childbirth.

She had been in labour for three days before delivering a baby girl at 9am. However, her placenta remained retained for more than seven hours, leaving her weak and in urgent need of medical evacuation.

Community Health Worker Philip Seth, stationed at Umba Community Health Post, walked four hours through the mountains to reach the patient. After stabilising the patient, he trekked another two hours to a network area to contact for urgent help from MAMA Foundation. 

A medevac helicopter was dispatched from Lae at 5pm under fine weather, with clear skies visible from the Lae side and black clouds forming over the Eastern Highlands. The patient and her newborn were safely airlifted and arrived in Lae at 6pm, where she was admitted to ANGAU Memorial Hospital for further treatment.

Captain Jurgen Ruh, CEO of Manolos Aviation, praised the courage and commitment of the rural health worker and the crew involved, “Stories like this show the incredible dedication of rural health workers who walk for hours to save lives. Our team is proud to support their work and ensure patients like this patient get the care they deserve. Every flight matters, especially for mothers and children in remote areas.”

The patient and her baby girl are now in stable condition and receiving continued medical attention.