In a secret Burmese Refugee Camp, Gisborne General Practitioner Stu Hockey helped educate locals in first aid and medical care, as well as working as a doctor. He enjoyed being able to help but it was the recovery of a 10-year-old orphan boy that lingers in his memory. (Hover over pictures with your mouse to read the picture captions). 

By Helen Peterson

There is nothing standard about a Hockey family holiday. Their time away is like something from television’s Intrepid Journey. But Stu Hockey says, the more weird and wonderful a place, the better!

For their last holiday the City Medical general practitioner took his wife and three boys to a refugee camp on the border of Thailand and Burma. He recently returned from a second trip to the camp where he helped train 60 Burmese community health workers.
 
Due to political unrest within the wider area the camp’s name cannot be published, except to say it is a six hour trip from Changmai, Thailand, via car, four-wheel drive, motorcycle and walking.
 
The camp is in Shan territory, an area the size of the South Island, and home to 10 million people. Presently they have a cease-fire with the Burmese Army.

Camp doubles as refuge for orphans and steep learning curve for Kiwi kids

Stu, Coralie and their sons, Carl, Layton and Brett, visited the camp earlier in the year where they spent three days catching up with friends who work for aid agency Partners New Zealand.

“Here they are building a small hospital as well as dormitories for orphans from the wider area who make their way to the safety of the camp,” says Stu.

“These orphans get the chance to attend school, have three meals a day and have a roof over their head.”
Taking his three children was a rewarding experience. It was a powerful learning tool.

“Our children could see that simple things we take for granted at home were, in fact, absent from the camp - including a decent toilet block.” Touched by the people’s plight Layton, aged 10, recently raised funds through his local church group to help build a new toilet block for the camp.

A little knowledge goes a long way

During the family’s visit Stu was asked if he was interested in helping to teach 60 people from Burma to become community health workers.  The opportunity to pass on some simple knowledge to help improve the people’s daily lives was too good to pass up, so he ventured back to the camp in late August.

For six months 60 community health worker trainees live at the camp and undertake basic training in a variety of areas including first aid, CPR, wound care, basic medical examination and the importance of personal hygiene.

Stu spent five days teaching these trainees through an interpreter. He took two resuscitation dolls donated by the local St John Ambulance and the Mountain Safety Council branches.

Although relatively “basic” the camp has a clinic, run by one nurse. It has an extensive range of pharmaceutical products including contraception pills, antibiotics and immunisation vaccines.

However, many of the outer-lying villages, particularly in Burma, do not have access to such medications. They are also in dire need of community health workers to pass on basic health care knowledge, including how to assess who needs hospitalization.

Stu found the work rewarding and was amazed at how eager the people were to learn and how easily they picked up what was being taught. 

“I would like to have stayed for longer and am now thinking about how I can further assist them.”

Plucky Burmese lad saved

There were many highlights from the trips but the most poignant was the recovery of a 10-year-old orphan boy called Jaiboi, who was at death’s door during Stu’s first visit.

Jaiboi had been suffering from infected scabies that caused major complications including kidney failure. He had been sick for the three weeks before Stu’s first visit and was unconscious and having trouble breathing.

“He was in a terrible state and I thought he was dying. The only option was to administer antibiotics and ensure he was made as comfortable as possible.”

Remarkably, when Stu went back the second time Jaiboi had made an almost full recovery. Whether it was Jaiboi’s determination to live, Stu’s intervention , or a combination of both, the child is living testament to the good work being done to save refugee lives. No price can be put on that. 

By Helen Peterson

Turanganui Primary Health Organisation no longer funds Sport Gisborne’s Active Whanau Health Initiative (AWHI), but has channeled the money elsewhere within the sports organization. 

Reprioritisation of money to promote healthy living messages was the catalyst for the decision, but it was still a difficult resolution, says Turanganui PHO Chief Executive Keriana Brooking.

The money has now been channeled into another Sport Gisborne programme called Active Mokopuna which focuses on the same core issues as AWHI - healthy eating and active movement.

AWHI was developed in 2008 to help children, aged between 5 and 12 years, with a higher than recommended weight to get more active, make better food choices and overall improve their lives.

Turanganui PHO initially put $130,000 towards the AWHI Programme. Support included workshops on building self-esteem, parenting strategies, positive role modeling, making healthy food choices, and activity options. Each school term four or five families were selected to take part in the weekly workshops and family activity sessions.

“Over time it has become harder to get families to take part in the AWHI programme due to other commitments they have,” says Keriana.

“It got to the stage where there were no referrals for AWHI so sadly we have been unable to justify continued funding for the programme.”

Active Mokopuna, which promotes healthy eating and active movement through kindergartens and other early childhood centres, now has financial assistance from Turanganui PHO.  It is also supported by the Heart Foundation.

The programme assists teachers and parents to make sure children have healthy foods in their lunch boxes. Parents and wider whanau are also provided with information focusing on healthier food choices and active movement.

It is hoped Active Mokopuna will reach a wider population base than AWHI and instill the values of healthy eating and exercise during children’s formative years. 

The AWHI programme finished today. [30 sept]