Arrival in Vanuatu

Arrived in Port Vila this evening late, ops team is busy working on logistics for our deployment tomorrow. Plan as it stands is to head to Ambrym in the morning and be part of a 2 physician mobile unit that travels around by boat to outlying villages and island to provide basic medical care, assess drinking water reserves and help treat ongoing diarrheal illness. I'll be landing in Utei and going to N.Ambrym, the island of Paama and others.  Initial assessment is that the combo of a recent volcanic eruption coupled with the hurricane has left much of the drinking water contaminated. I may actually have internet at times so home to sneak off a view photos to instagram
Until then...

#BacktotheBush

In November 2007 I left Vanuatu after spending 2 years there. My time was cut short and ended abruptly when I returned to the US for the first time and wasn’t sent back after testing positive for Malaria after months of illness.  I have often talked of returning, and now that opportunity presents itself.

On March 12-13, the eastern islands of Vanuatu were pummeled by cyclone pam (A cyclone is a hurricane in the southern hemisphere), carrying sustained winds of over 175mph.  Fortunately, the loss of lives in the immediate impact was limited, however half of the country’s population, including the capitol city Port Vila, was heavily damaged.  In the aftermath, the country is in need of food, water and medical care.

A colleague just 3 days ago forwarded me an email chain looking for volunteers to join the Cyclone Pam relief team in Vanuatu. In a logistical feat, with the help of my residency, I was able to pull an elective together in 3 days notice, not knowing my departure flight until 3 hours prior to takeoff. As I travel the 30+ hours from Providence to the west coast, to Australia and lastly Vanuatu, here are a few photos from the last time I visited “the happiest country on earth”.