A team of two doctors and two nurses, led by joint program leader Dr Mark Norrie, is at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara this week. This will be the first program in three years due to COVID, and the local endoscopy team, led by Dr Elizabeth Wore, are eager to engage. For Kim West it is her fifth ANZGITA program and the first for her nursing colleague Madhav Acharya. Programs Coordinator Dr Robyn Nagel will be a trainer as she works her way to all our partners. This is her third in the last 12 months.
Tonga Program Dates Set
A week long training program will be held at Vaiola Hospital in Nuku'alofa from May 8. Like some other programs this year it will be the first since COVID and will align the on-going bi-annual program to needs. Such programs will have a greater number of experienced trainers like this one led by Dr Chris Hair.
Grant from Cook Medical for 2023 Timor-Leste Programs
We received this month a grant from Cook Medical in Australia for support of our Timor-Leste training programs in 2023. Our thanks to Cook Medical.
As we ramp up our programs following the COVID border closures we need to continue to secure funding to cover trainers' expenses. If you have any thoughts on organisations or individuals who might be interested in supporting ANZGITA's work please email our Chair, Finlay Macrae, or Secretary, Frank Eastaughffe.
SIES
ANZGITA will be at SIES on 16 and 17 March. Our counter is near the entry to the trade and catering area. If you are attending with a colleague who you think should be a trainer, please nudge him or her our way and we can sign them up. Our thanks to Prof Michael Bourke for inviting us along again this year. Also to CR Kennedy which will provide transport for our banners and other materials.
The first Pacific Gut Club Webinar for 2023 had well over 30 attendees. Information on the next webinar is below.
TITLE: "Case Presentations of Oesophageal Disorders" DATE: Thursday, 30 March 2023 - last Thursday of each month
TIME: 7.00pm-8.00pm FIJI time (6.00pm AEDT)
PLACE: Virtual Zoom Meetings hosted by Pacific Basin TRC in Hawaii
CASE LEADERS: Australian and Pacific doctors present & discuss cases
MODERATOR: Prof Michael Schultz, University of Otago, Dunedin NZ
Our thanks to Pentax Medical for a generous donation of seven endoscopes to the National Referral Hospital in Honiara, the capital of Solomon Islands. Simon Kitto organised it for us and in good time for the upcoming training.
In the last month Whiteley has donated a year's supply of reprocessing chemicals for HNGV in Timor-Leste. Whiteley support all our partners' sites.
No-longer-needed Equipment & Accessories? We can use!
If you are aware of endoscopes or other equipment as well as accessories used in endoscopy units that are no longer required, please consider donating them to ANZGITA. Note that expired accessories are not necessarily unusable. Please check with us. Our partners are in low resource countries and, although they work hard to resource their units, there is always an opportunity for us to assist. We work with industry partners to refurbish equipment. This activity is a high priority for us.Read More Here.
Please put in a good word for us with whoever is responsible or, better still, let us know who we should speak to. We can arrange for donations to be picked up and stored. Please email secretary@anzgita.org.
Good Reads
Here are some articles that caught our eye this month. If you have suggestions for the next newsletter, please let us know.
A digital health system for Palau's National Hospital has been launched based on products from the Australian company Beyond Essential Systems which has now implemented similar systems in a number of Pacific Island Countries.
The Australian Governement has launched a Healthy Region Initiative for developing countries in the Pacific and South East Asia. They will also establish strategic and project relationships for delivering public health focussed projects identified in the initiative.
SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT
ANZGITA gratefully acknowledges the support of all our sponsors, donors and grant providers who have generously supported our work, including the continuing support of the RACS PIP program which receives DFAT funding. These industry providers have committed long-term substantial support: CR Kennedy, Whiteley, Boston Scientific,Cantel, CK Surgitech, Cook Medical, Olympus and Pentax. Click here to view all supporters.
