Mission Fiji
Mission Fiji 2025
Mission Fiji 2025 has been the biggest volunteer mission to date. A team of twelve volunteers including surgeons, surgical registrars and nurses from Austin Health went to CWM Hospital.
The team donated more than 300kg worth of surgical equipment collected by Austin Health theatre nurses, assisted in colorectal cases and held several teaching sessions for nurses and registrars.
The visit has been an incredible success and has been important in strengthening our support and connection with our Fijian Collegues and promoting colorectal surgery in the Pacific.
We would like to thank the following team members for their contribution to the visit: Andrew Bui, Thomas Tiang, Asiri Arachchi, Isabelle Hunyh, Kerrilee Young, Maryum Quresh, Hannah Van Wetering, Amanda Kerton, Caitlyn Jessop, Ellie Weymouth, Madonna Dela Cruz and Kate Pamaran.
Mission Fiji 2024
The volunteer team visited Fiji 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.
Mission Fiji 2023
The volunteer team visited Fiji 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 2022
The team visited CWM Hospital in June 2022 with another colleague from New Zealand Mr Leung.
We were involved in performing volunteer surgical cases. We were able to build a connection with local surgeons and had the privilege of attending their home village to meet with family.
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.
