AMA VICDOC Summer 2024 - Magazine - Page 28
T E R RY
ANA
STEVE DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO THE HEALTH
OF THE INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS OF PERU,
PNG AND THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.
MY PARENTS WORKED IN PNG FOR NINE
YEARS, FIRSTLY IN TARI, THEN KAVIENG
AND FINALLY TABUBIL.
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He performed surgical, obstetrical and
medical care in the Amazon jungle and
in Tari, Kavieng and Tabubil in PNG
before working in Nhulunbuy and places
like Groote Eylandt in the NT. He then
returned to Victoria to work as a country
GP in Edenhope and Mansfield for 18
years. About eight years ago, Steve developed
cognitive problems and was diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s disease. Sadly, he had to retire
prematurely at the age of 64.
BILL
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IN THE AMAZON STEVE’S JOB WAS TO HELP
TRAIN YOUNG MEN FROM ABOUT 100
VILLAGES IN WESTERN PREVENTATIVE
AND BASIC CURATIVE MEDICINE.
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These men became health promotors or
barefoot doctors. Steve’s work involved
running regular courses on each of the five
principal rivers of the region, then making
long supervisory trips along each river to
visit each health worker, give advice and
help when necessary. The medical work was
sometimes very difficult. Steve had to teach
his western medical approach for mostly
introduced diseases, without denigrating
traditional beliefs. Steve married his
Peruvian wife, Licenia, in 1983, and their
daughter Ana was born in 1984. In 1989
they left Australia to work in PNG.
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AMA VI C TO RIA
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You just had to do the best that you could
with the training and equipment that you
had. My mum was a doctor as well; she was
the first Indigenous woman to graduate in
medicine in Peru. The community in and
around Tari was quite tribal, and people
frequently fought amongst the clans to settle
disputes. From time to time the patients
mum and dad attended had an embedded
spear or an arrow because of tribal fighting.
They also provided lots of obstetric and
outreach care, and vaccination and education
programs. My parents were sought after
because they were a duo; communities really
liked having them, especially my mum for
women’s health issues.
ISOLATION FROM FAMILY AND THE
WIDER MEDICAL COMMUNITY WAS
OFTEN A CHALLENGE.
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He always worked on adding to his skills,
but in PNG this demanded driving several
hours up a highway that was prone to
potholes, landslides and dangerous highway
robbers to meet with other doctors at the
hospital to learn about lifesaving surgical
procedures. He was committed to working
in areas of real need – often small rural and
remote locations that find it hard to attract
and retain doctors. Burnout was another
challenge. My parents were lucky that
they had each other and could take turns
providing on call services to the hospital, but
it was difficult to take time off as a family.
