« Hangar Happenings | Main | Termite Swarm »

No Air Ambulance Flights

This place can seem like a battlefield at times. But then, I don't have to tell you we're in a spiritual war, do I? I want to let you know of our latest situation regarding MAF in Ecuador. MAF has a contract with the Ministry of Public Health to do the Air Ambulance flights in the Oriente (eastern jungle). Well, we did have a contract. The five year contract ended in June '04. In March '04 we began the process of renewing the contract, and it's still not signed. I'm not sure anyone here can tell you why, except to say 'bureaucracy'. Even without a contract, MAF was paid for the months of May and June. A check for July is supposed to be forthcoming any day now. We don't know when they will pay us for the flights done in August-November. Typically the bill to the Ministry of Public Health is $10-13,000 a month, and if you do the math you'll see that at least $50,000 is owed to MAF.

We didn't want it to come to this, but as of today, December 1, we will not make any Air Ambulance flights unless they are a matter of life or death. This is how MAF will need to operate until we get a check from the Ministry of Public Health, even if it is for only one month worth of flying. Please pray that the Ministry of Health people will sign the contract, and that they will be able to quickly pay for the emergency flights of July through November. Pray for the runway doctor (who has an office here at the MAF hangar), that she will have wisdom in deciding whether or not a plane should be sent on an emergency flight. Pray for those Indians in the jungle who will suffer from this, that this situation will end quickly for their sake.