Twenty-five people from East Sepik are embarking on a new chapter of their lives, thanks to a life-changing collaboration between Frieda River Limited (FRL) and Interplast Australia New Zealand.
From 31 March to 5 April, Wewak’s Boram Hospital became the beacon of hope, as a team of volunteer specialists performed 29 free and delicate reconstructive procedures on the 25 men, women, and children with conditions ranging from congenital deformities like cleft lips to debilitating injuries caused by burns and bush knife traumas.
The surgical team, a multidisciplinary force of compassion and skill, included two surgeons, a trainee surgeon from Papua New Guinea (PNG), two anaesthetists, six physiotherapists, and perioperative nurses from both Australia and Boram Hospital.
Sponsored by FRL – the proponent of the Frieda River copper-gold project in remote Sepik – this initiative marks the second year of a three-year partnership, with this year’s mission seeing an increase in procedures compared to 2024.
“We successfully conducted 29 procedures on 25 patients – 12 more than last year,” said team leader Dr Sid Karanth, who also revealed a sobering detail – that nearly 90% of the injuries treated stemmed from preventable bush knife attacks and burns.
One of the patients, 17-year-old Joyce Koko, had lived with painful scars since childhood when an accident near her mother’s cooking fire left her with severe burns. Boiling oil splashed across her neck, jaw, and right cheek, leaving her with unsightly disfigured skin. The day after the surgery, Joyce spoke softly but with resolve.
“Thank you to the doctors. I will return to school and try to live a normal life again. I want to finish school and become a nurse so I can help others.”
FRL Country Manager, Joel Hamago thanked the visiting specialists from Australia who had given their time to this volunteer mission.
“Reconstructive surgery is a costly procedure, far beyond the reach of ordinary Papua New Guineans. That is why the FRL Sepik Interplast program exists – bringing in volunteer specialists from Australia to lead these life-changing surgeries free of charge,” he said.
With the FRL Sepik Interplast partnership continuing into 2026, more lives are set to be transformed – but the deeper call remains: healing not just bodies, but communities.