Program Reports 07/08

Last updated 3 September 2007

FIJI  12 Aug - 22 Aug

The team have arrived safely in Fiji.  They assesed 38 patients yesterday and were conducting another clinic today.  

This program is funded by the Rotary Club of Rosebud.  Barry Osbourne was chosen as the Rotarian Observer and Interplast Ambassdor for the program. 

More news to come as we hear from the team. 

Update 23 August

The team conducted 69 consultations and performed nearly 20 repairs of cleft lips and cleft palates during the 4 day program… There were a few that they could not do that will hopefully be done on the next program to Fiji.  Two older children were operated on at 17 years of age. It is unfortunate that they have had to live their life with a condition as treatable as this and in all the other programs to Fiji they were not presented.  The difference this operation makes to their lives, and that of their family is enormous.  All parents were very grateful for the free treatment provided with many making a special effort to shake the hands of the team to say thank you.

Samoa 11 Aug - 19 Aug 2007

The team have arrived safely in Samoa.  A media release was sent out last week informing the public of the impending visit and as a result there were a large number of people who turned up this morning for assessment wanting treatment.  There are too many people to treat on this program.

This program was funded by AusAIDs Pacific Island Project. 

More news to come as we hear from the team.

Indonesia 28 Jul - 10 Aug 2007

After a last minute unavoidable change of plans the team moved the program from Lombok to Bali and worked at the Sangla Hospital in the theatres built by the Australian Government after the Bali bombings.  The team spent the first two days operating on Bali patients while the Lombok patients and a carer were transported by boat to Bali on a journey that took nearly 12 hours.  The Lombok patients were accommodated in a community social house which was also where the assesment clinic was conducted, and patients were scheduled for operations.   A total of 32 operations were performed on the program and one of the Balinese surgeons training with the team performed their first cleft lip repair under the guidance of the experienced cleft surgeon and Interplast volunteer Mr Chris Bennett.

All of the families were extreamly appreciative of the care and free operations performed by the Interplast team.  One mother, in particular, was very apprehensive, as is normal when their child is going into surgey, and burst into tears when she saw her son after the operation and could not thank the team enough.  It was a very emotional moment for everyone and certainly made the disturbance of the last minute change in venue very insignificant. 

 Vietnam 30 Jun - 13 Jul 2007

The team of 6 volunteers went to Binh Dinh Province Hosiptal in Quy Nhon Vietnam from June 30 to 13 July.  This two week program was funded by the Annamila Pty Ltd and the New Zealand Vietnam Health Trust.  The team assessed 57 patients in one of the theatre meeting rooms and performed 45 operations for the duration of the program.  The majority of the operations were on cleft lip and cleft palate repair and 80% were on children under the age of 10.

Surgeons Mr Kenton-Smith and Mr Rees also conducted a series of lectures during the program on burns management, cleft lip and cleft palate repair, and wound care.  The lectures were instantly translated for the full room of participants.  One of the district nurses also brought with her nurses from other hospitals in the area to hear the lectures.

One day during the second week anaesthetist David Chamly and nurse Mary Watson were going out to visit a hospital in another province.  On their way out there they asked the driver to stop so they could take some photos of the water buffalo working.  As they took their photo a lady came by on a bike with two children on the back and stopped.  She recognised Nurse Mary Watson from her previous visit to Vietnam, her two children both were born with cleft lips and palates and given free treatment by an earlier Interplast team Mary was on.  The mother could not have been more greatful for the gift Interplast had given.

Tanzania 25 Jun - 7 Jul 2007

The volunteers for this fourth program to Tanzania, the only place in Africa visited by Interplast, are all from Western Australia.  This program was a joint activity between Interplast and Operation Rainbow an organisation in Western Australia dedicated to helping children.  The volunteers were able to use the equipment from Operation Rainbow saving money transporting the Interplast equipment from Melbourne to Perth and back again. Interplast would like to thank Operation Rainbow for their continued partnership in this area.

The volunteers performed 94 procedures mainly repair of cleft lips and cleft palates.  The team also performed a few long cases which involved moving muscles around to other parts of the body to cover deficits, each of these went for a minimum of 5 hours.

Whilst the majority of cleft lip and cleft palate repair was performed on children there were two patients who were in their 60’s who had lived with the condition their whole life.  Repair of cleft lip and cleft palates is a routine procedure for any child born in western society, the team were saddened to see these two people had to live their whole life with a disability that had such a huge effect on their life that is quite treatable and could have enabled them to live a life without a disability.

The training done on the program was on the job.  Not only did the surgeons and anaesthetists teach and mentor they also taught correct care of instruments and equipment.  They were able to fix several machines that were not working due to lack of correct and simple routine maintenance.  They also concentrated on teaching draping techniques, patient position (particularly for long cases) and general safety in the theatre.