Ronnie's world as a TB front-line worker

Thursday, August 17, 2017

August 19 is World Humanitarian Day, a day we pay tribute to aid workers. While we are all humanitarians, here we are feature two of our Liasion Officers who have spent most of their worktime in health and in the fight against TB and much of their working life with World Vision, an organisation they are proud to be a part of.

Read Ronnie Kirokae's story & watch Dorothy Derevi's video to learn more about the work they do. This is Ronnie's story!

Ronnie (40), has known and worked in the field of TB his whole life. Since graduating from Kapuna School of Nursing in 1996 back in his home province in Gulf, Ronnie started his career with the TB and leprosy ward in 1997 and worked there until 1999.

 

Ronnie at work with a colleague at 6-mile clinic. Photo: Tommy Maima/World Vision.

In November 2008, Ronnie joined World Vision’s Stop TB Project in Port Moresby as an Advocacy Communication & Social Mobilisation (ACSM) Officer. Today, Ronnie works as a Liaison Officer attached with the 6-Mile TB Clinic under World Vision’s TB and Health System Strengthening (TBHSS) Program funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and implemented in partnership with the National Department of Health.
“Being a health worker gives me the passion. I live in the community. My family and friends also live in the community and the National Capital District being a hotspot gives me an added responsibility as a health worker to fight TB beyond my work time," said Ronnie.

 

Ronnie attending to one of his 16 patients at 6-mile clinic. Photo: Tommy Maima/World Vision.

The quiet and soft-spoken father of four says he wants to continue to help TB patients get cured and also to ensure others do not get TB.

“At the same time, I’ve worked all my life with TB and it’s become my passion. I especially want to ensure children showing signs and symptoms of TB are tested and treated quickly,” said Ronnie.

 

The project facilitiate's bus fare assitance and provides food vouchers on a fortnightly basis to assist drug-resistant patients seek timely treatment and for compliance purposes. Eating well is important for a patient to be able to take his or her daily dose. Photo: Tommy Maima/World Vision.

Ronnie also works with TB/HIV patients and his job as a public health worker involves putting himself at risk of co-infection from patients who are not yet on treatment.

 

Keeping fit at home with makeshift weights. Photo: Tommy Maima/World Vision.

At home, Ronnie helps with household chores, conducts TB outreach in his community, involves himself in fun games with the community youths and spends time with his wife Doreen and his children, especially his younger children Rajessnie (13) and month-old Ben-amie. 

Ronnie spending quality time with his family - wife Doreen, baby Ben-amie & daughter Rajessnie. Photo: Tommy Maima/World Vision.