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Volume 25 No. 3 | Spring 2015
“When it comes
to health services,
most of the time,
people come to
me,” he says. “I
have to be the medical officer.
There is a lot of malaria and typhoid and things like that and
people have nowhere to get the medicine, so I have to help
them.
“From time to time the plane comes with medical supplies,
but it doesn’t come regularly.”
Once he receives the medical supplies, Fr Stach faces a
long drive and then a two day walk to reach the people.
“I walk first to the first
settlements, and I stay with
the people there overnight.
On the second day, I walk
six to eight hours and then I
come to the big station,” he
says.
“Of course, during the rainy
season, I have problems
getting across the rivers
because they have no
bridges. So we get together
and put a few posts across
the river and you have to walk
across them.”
Apart from helping with medical supplies, Fr Stach tries
to get out to the remote communities regularly to hear
confession, celebrate the Eucharist and spend time with the
people.
“The most important thing is just that I am here,” he says.
Because the people are neglected. Nobody cares for them
from the government unless an election is coming up.