The Sathya Sai Medical Units of Australia and Fiji carried out their twelfth annual Medical Camp in Fiji from 12 – 18, August 2018. A large team of professional and supporting volunteers administered to the needs of a considerable number of people seeking medical assistance. Supplementary to the camp were conferences and a workshop organised for the benefit of Fiji medical and dental professionals and students.
This year the team of volunteers consisted of 7 from Fiji, 52 from various parts of Australia, 1 from New Zealand and 1 from the Netherlands. Some of the volunteers weren’t SSIO members, but were keen to participate, having heard about the project and the opportunity to serve those in need.
The professionals within the team consisted of 8 general practitioners, a geriatrician, an emergency physician, an infectious disease physician, 2 paediatricians, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a junior medical officer, a neurosurgeon, a gynaecologist, a midwife, 2 surgeons, 2 anaesthetists, 2 ICU nurses, a theatre nurse, 5 registered nurses, 3 dentists, a paediatric dentist, a dental prosthetist, a dental assistant, a pharmacist, 2 educators, 12 general volunteers, IT personnel, and 20 medical students from Umanand Prasad School of Medicine and 1 from Monash School of Medicine, Melbourne.
Conferences and Workshop
Besides the rural medical camps on the island of Vanua Levu, medical conferences for the local general practitioners, health workers and students were conducted at the Labasa Hospital Training centre in Labasa, Vanua Levu on 12 August and at the Umanand Prasad School of Health Sciences on the island of Viti Levu on 18 August. Both conferences attracted credit for the local Continuing Medical Education Programme. The dental team conducted a workshop for their colleagues in Labasa.
The theme of the medical conferences was Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD), inspired by the common presentations at the camps during previous visits. At the request of the local dentists, the dental workshop covered an overview of Dental Implant Treatment and a paediatric update.
The Labasa conference had 49 attendees with 7 Dental Health workers attending the dental workshop. Approximately 100 attended the UPSM conference which was opened by the Dean and was attended by several medical students and local general practitioners.
Hon Ms Rosie Akbar, Minister for Health of the Government of Fiji visited the Camp on 16 August at Seqaqa Central College.
The Medical Camps
The camps were held at the Nadogo Central College on 13 & 14 August and at Seaqaqa Central College on 15 & 16 August 2018.
758 patients registered for the medical camps over the four days and received a total of 1,372 services from the different disciplines. The following indicates specific stations activities.
Mental Health Clinic
36 patients presented at the Mental Health Clinic.
Some of the common conditions diagnosed included: Stress and Anxiety disorders, Somatoform disorders, Relationship issues and Mood disorders amongst others.
Paediatric Clinic
Some common presentations at the paediatric clinic included; dental-related problems, nutrition-related disorders and upper respiratory tract infections amongst others.
Nursing Station
Some of the roles of the nurses included; measuring blood pressure, checking blood sugars, weighing children, wound dressings, syringing ears, ECG, setting up injection areas, educating diabetic patients.
Pharmacy
A total of 477 patients had about 1460 items dispensed over the four days.
Dental
The Dental team attended to a total of 220 patients over the 4 days and provided 343 services including extractions, fillings, palliative treatment as well as denture repairs, relines and some new partial dentures.
Surgical
The Surgical team operated at Labasa Hospital from 13 to 18 August 2018.
Cases:
Urology: 1TURBT, 2 TURP, 1 laproscopic pyelolithotomy
General: 11 Cholecystectomies (10 laproscopic and 1 laproscopic converted to open)
Feedback
Written feedback from several volunteer participants and Fijian medical students has been very positive with many expressing their thanks for the valuable opportunity to learn, not only medical procedures and proper documentation of case histories, but to see a side of medicine in which the patient is treated with love and care; that they are treated as a whole rather than an isolated medical complaint.
The Government of Fiji has also issued a Certificate of Appreciation for the work undertaken.
The Sathya Sai Medical Unit Australia acknowledges the valuable assistance provided by the following individuals and organisations:
1. Fiji Airways, Mr Humphry Jansz
2. Fiji Link,
3. MOH Fiji, Makarita Tikoduadua, Manjula Lal
4. Tanoa Group of Hotels- Sky Lodge, Raj
5. Westin Westin/Sheraton Samantha Elbourne
6. Galaxy Apartments Labasa Ravi Deo, Rohinil Chand
8. Star Printers, Chauhan
9. Kirrawee Pharmacy VKhetia
10. Eastbrooke Medical Centre Carlton NSW, Sandy, Julie, Simon, Andrew
11. Dalip Chand Bus service Rohinil Chand, Kunal
13. Sai Service Organisation Fiji, Dr. Saras Nandan, Dr. Rajat Gyaneshwar
14. Vodafone Fiji, Parnil Chaudhary
15. Tappoos Fiji, Harish
16. Nadogo Central College, Principal Mr Khan, Nalvindra Prasad
17. Seaqaqa Central College, Principal Jitendra Prasad, Admin. Vilashni, Atul Nisha,Rashid
18. Hiralal and Sons, Naunit
20. UPSM and UOF Elick Narayan
21. Fiji College Of GP, Dr Bharatee Balram, Pradeep Singh
22.Apotex Pharma. Anthony Antonios
23. Phamacor Pharma. Linda Haran
24. Dr Reddys Pharma. George Galey
25. Storz
26. Johnson and Johnson
27. Applied
28. Colgate Palmolive: Dr Naina Kau
29. GC Australia,
30. Henry Schein Halas,
31. Iso Diamant, Mr Martin Arstet.
32. Eastern Suburbs Dental Study Group
33. Dr Nadeem Sattar Divisional Dental Officer, Northern Health Services.
34. Mukesh Narsey From Suva Fiji
35. Chandra Pharmacy
36. Medsafe Pharmacy
37. AFT Pharmaceuticals
38. Care Pharmaceuticals
39. Sanofi