Dr David Mar Naw
David Mar Naw is regarded by many in the Ma-an camp as having been sent magically or by God to relieve them of their ills. He remembers well his first visit to the hill-tribes. Inaccessible by car, he walked the last 9 kilometres through the jungle with his small bag of clothes and supplies and knew instantly that he was meant to be there and meant to stay. Quickly, the news of this kind and enthusiastic doctor spread far and wide and young and old with their short and long-term diseases were queuing up to see him.
Over a year later, his burning heart is still with the poor hill-tribes in their suffering and his tearful eyes on the poor and needy hill-tribe children, shivering in their torn, thin clothes. Every day he travels up and down the hills, moving from village to village giving free medical treatment and curing their illnesses. He plays with the children and learns the hill-tribe languages. They share with him their culture and traditions and he advises them on hygienic living and illness prevention. He eats the simple hill-tribe food and sleeps in the bamboo shelters of the hill-tribes.
Reliant on donations for medical supplies and without his own transport, Dr David’s work is arduous and exhausting. He often has to go by foot to the villages travelling the hilly, muddy road for up to 15 kilometres a day carrying the necessary medical supplies to treat the huge crowds of patients who await him. To support him and his work, the poor villagers prepare him two simple meals of rice, crushed fried egg and a hip of pounding chillies in a small bowl during the day. Once his work is done, he sleeps on the floor of one of the small bamboo huts until the crack of dawn when he is up again and on to the next village.
“Watching David at work is inspiring. He treats the patients in turn in whatever simple clinic setting can be conjured up; the floor of a bamboo hut or a wooden table converted into a surgery bed. Happy with just a 10 minute break for lunch and a late dinner, he works often till 10pm. Even his breakfast can be interrupted by the early arrival of patients and he doesn’t mind. Each patient is listened to and thoroughly examined and then guided on diet and day to day living before being prescribed the carefully selected supplements and medication. All of this is carried out in a caring and disciplined manner.”
(Volunteer 05)
