A 370-mile emergency flight saved the life of a medic’s wife in Chad, the Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) reports.
Gary Clayton writes: In 2021, MAF flew 1,443 medevac passengers worldwide. Many of the patients flown were touched by the love of Christ and the care they received from MAF pilots. This year, thanks to MAF planes, many more life-saving medical emergency flights are taking place in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.
Fanfina, wife of Dr Memadji Mbaigoto, recently suffered a heart attack at her home in Moundou, southern Chad.
After two days’ treatment at a hospital in Moundou, Fanfina’s condition became critical. Unless she received urgent life-saving medical attention in N’Djamena, Chad’s capital, she would die.
Because a 600km journey over pothole-ridden roads would have taken 12 hours, Dr Mbaigoto called MAF. Pilot Becki Dillingham took off early to airlift Fanfina.
When Becki and MAF’s acting Operations Manager John Feil landed to collect Fanfina and her son, Becki offered Dr Mbaigoto a seat on the plane, but Fanfina’s husband refused. The needs of his patients, he said, were even more pressing. As he waved goodbye, the gynaecologist cried out: ‘Please take good care of her!’
With the patient as comfortable as possible, MAF’s Cessna 280 aircraft took off, following the river north to N’Djamena.
Describing their route, John Feil said: ‘The 90-minute flight followed the Logone River that forms the border with Cameroon. It was a very useful ground navigation aid in the deteriorating unseasonable weather.’
The road from Moundou to N’Djamena is extremely bad – particularly when it rains. Becki, confirming the dire state of the roads below, commented: ‘You can see some of the potholes from the air, they’re that big!’
Three weeks later, having recovered from her treatment, Fanfina was discharged from the CHU la Renaissance Ndjaména-Tchad Hospital. According to the doctors, she would not have survived the journey overland.
‘My wife is alive today thanks to this rapid evacuation and effective care,’ exclaimed an incredibly thankful Dr Mbaigoto. ‘We are very grateful to the staff of MAF and its partners for this flight. God bless you richly.’
