Lifesaving Surgery for Doctor Donna

Bron and Angie are asking for assistance in raising the cost of life saving surgery for our friend and colleague Dr Donna Piamnok, an emergency care clinician from Papua New Guinea.

Donna has worked tirelessly for many years to advocate for best practice emergency care for all of her patients in Papua New Guinea, particularly including those in remote communities. We have seen her spend the night driving around pharmacies trying to access medication for a patient having a heart attack then still be on the outreach clinic bus at 7am, travelling to offer her skills to patients who live too rurally to otherwise access medical treatment. She has risked losing her job to speak out about the lack of basic medication available to hospital clinicians in Papua New Guinea and been a ferocious advocate for women and marginalised patients as well as a strong support for her nursing colleagues. Last year her work was recognised by The Australasian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM)

Now it is Donna who needs to access specialist care. She is currently receiving chemotherapy in Wewak, Papua New Guinea but after this will require complex surgery to definitively prevent a recurrence of her cancer. Due to the many challenges within the Papuan healthcare system, her surgeon is unable to safely undertake this operation in a public hospital, and she needs to have the surgery performed privately at the Pacific International Hospital in Port Moresby.

We hope you will join us in supporting Donna to receive this life saving treatment. Ideally, the funding goal will be met by November 2024 so that Donna can finish chemotherapy knowing that planned surgery will follow.

Donna's patients and community in Papua New Guinea need the skills and passionate advocacy that she brings to her medical practice, and her many friends and family know that the world is a much richer place with Donna in it. Please lend your support to accessing this life-saving care for someone who has cared for so many other people.

All funds raised will be used for the cost of surgery at the Pacific International Hospital and post operative rehabilitation.

Small donations add up to wonderful things when they are shared amongst a community, so please share this page with your family and friends.

Update: We are now focussed on alternative sites for surgery and the reduced total that we are aiming for is based on quotes from the Philippines. Thank you for your ongoing support :)

Thanks from Bron and Angie and Donna