Mission Fiji
Mission Fiji 2023
Our first volunteer mission to Fiji was in October 2023. We spent one week at CWM Hospital in Suva.
We donated five boxes worth of surgical equipment including surgical staplers, vascular grafts, orthopedic screws, rigid sigmoidoscopy and vessel sealing devices. Equipment was kindly donated by Austin Health and Monash Health.
We provided teaching and education to local surgical training registrars and local surgeons. We also provided education to nurses regarding stoma site marking and basic stoma cares.
The mission was a success establishing a connection with the General Surgical team in CWM Hospital, Suva.
Mission Fiji 2024
Our next mission to Fiji was in June 2024. This time we donated nine boxes of equipment kindly provided by Austin Health, Monash Health, Tauranga Hospital and Medical Pantry. We realised that stoma bags were extremely valuable resource in Fiji.
The visiting team provided colorectal expertise with complex colorectal patients and provided valuable teaching to local surgical registrars and surgeons.
We continue to connect colorectal care with the pacific and establish the need for regular donation of medical equipment.
Stoma bags for fiji
Stoma bags are a golden resource to patients in Fiji. Many patients present to hospital with very advanced bowel cancer and treatment is limited to surgery. A majority of patients require ostomy bags (colostomy/ileostomy/urostomy) for maintining bowel or bladder function.
Unfortunately patients in Fiji lack access to supplies of ostomy bags. It is not uncommon patients use plastic bags, margarine tubs or nappies due to lack of supply.
We partnered with ostomy charity organisations in New Zealand lead by Brent Hamlin and Fiji Airways to deliver essential shipments of ostomy supplies to Fiji. These ostomy supplies are donated directly to the Fiji Cancer Society who distribute supplies throughout the country.
Dr leli Bowel Cancer treatment
Dr Leli is the Head of Anaesthesiology Department at CWM Hospital in Suva. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with stage III bowel cancer in Fiji (rectal cancer) in 2024. In Australasia this is routinely treated with chemotherapy + radiotherapy first (neo-adjuvant treatment) followed by surgery and further chemotherapy (adjuvant treatment).
In Fiji however, there is no access to radiotherapy locally and very limited chemotherapy options. This typically leads to surgery as the only option.
Thanks to the team at Barwon Health Geelong lead by Prof Glenn Guest and A/Prof Sonal Nagra organised Dr Leli to receive neo-adjuvant treatment under compassionate grounds.
The Austin Health team lead by Mr Asiri Arachchi and Mr Andrew Bui organised Dr Leli to have his bowel cancer surgery performed at Austin Health under compassionate grounds in March 2025. The team would like to thank all Austin Health staff involved especially Cam McIntyre (Divisional Manager of General Surgery) and David Proud (Director of Colorectal Surgery) for kindly approving the cost of surgery to be waived for Dr Leli.
Mission Fiji 2025
Mission Fiji 2025 aims to be bigger than previous visits. We are planning on 12 volunteers from Austin Hospital including 4 surgeons and theatre nursing staff.
We plan to donate plenty of medical equipment accrued over a period of two years. The visit is planned for June 2025.
We will post updates of this visit soon.