Protein for Patients

The typical village diet of the highland Papua New Guinean is kaukau (sweet potatoes) and greens daily. A couple of days a week they might add tapioca root or taro or banana. It is a diet of predominant starch and little protein. There is vegetable and animal protein available, but it is not regularly consumed. Peanuts and beans are grown in some gardens. On special occasions at parties “mumus”, a pig “pik” chicken “cakaruk” or at very special time a cassowary may be eaten. There is also the occasional bat, rat, kuskus, tree kangaroo, and dog or banana spider. No form of protein goes to waste!

Daniel and Timothy preparing meal.

At Kudjip Nazarene Hospital, the only hospital furnished meal is one cooked kaukau per day. If a patient is considered malnourished, the doctor may order a serving of nutrition soup to be given in the mornings. Nutrition soup contains cooked greens, cabbage and cans of “tin fish” (mackerel). Until a few months ago unless there was a special holiday, this was the limit of the hospital food preparation.

Timothy in the hospital kitchen.

Last year the nursing staff began requesting protein for the patients to promote increased healing and recovery. Some of the missionaries began to have a lesser meal once a week and contribute the difference in cost into a special fund, “Protein for Patients”. As volunteers began to hear of this program, some would leave extra funding behind when they departed. One missionary couple buys boxes of eggs every month or so; hard boils them and hands them out to patients on the wards.

Timothy opening the "tin fish."

Susie and Timothy completing preparation.

This fall, Scot and I had a friend from Cape Girardeau call and say he and his wife would like to contribute to our mission endeavors. We gratefully accepted their gift and once at the hospital were able to direct those funds into the “Protein for Patients”.

Timothy and Susie ready to serve.

This past week I spend time at the hospital cooking station (calling it a hospital kitchen is rather grandiose) and was able to talk to Timothy and Susie. I was told that twice a week, on Wednesday and Sunday, a meal is now prepared for the patients. Basically it includes the nutrition soup and a cooked kaukau. They serve approximately 130 patients at a time. When I observed, the cooked greens included cabbage, two other types of greens, green onion, and fresh ginger. After this was cooked and divided into two large bowls, eight cans of “tin fish” were added to the mixture.

"was meris" collecting the meal

The “was meri” (the woman taking care of the patient – typically a family member or a female from the village) would bring their dish to the serving window. The greens and a kaukau were given to each. I saw an older woman that didn’t have a dish and she brought a small plastic bag.

I don’t know how effective the program is at this point, but it is certainly a start. Adding some protein to the diet of a hospital patient is a good way to begin the healing process.

May God bless you and your family,

Tyronza & Scot (Dr. P)