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| Nurse Vicky checking the eye of a patient - Photo: Jan Malden, Inner Wheel Boronia |
“The timing of the 10th
Taveuni Eye Project in October 2015 could not have been more perfect
for patients. All patients have returned to
their homes, families and friends and were able to participate in the
Christmas and New Year celebrations. For many it was the first for a
long time, so consequently very special,” said Project Lead, Rotary Club
of Taveuni Island President Geoffrey Amos.
“In
the developing world, every blind poor person has a family member who
is chosen to be his or her caretaker. Frequently it is a child who
becomes
the “seeing eye child” for the blind person. Neither can attend school,
work, or provide for the family, prolonging the cycle of poverty,“
commented Head Surgeon Doctor Jeff Rutgard.
Over
the last ten years, the Taveuni Rotary Club has come to the aid of the
visually impaired throughout Fiji by reaching out to them, giving 2500
of them a second chance, a chance to see for the first time for
children born with cataracts and for adults to see again after being
blind for years.
Worldwide
support for the Taveuni Eye Project has made all this possible. What a
marvelous gift for the patients and their families. Without the
wonderful
team of supporters and volunteers, the largest totally free Cataract
Surgery Program would not take place.
Support
comes in many ways; some give their skill and time, some people provide
vital funding, and others contribute food, accommodation and transport.
This successful project grows year by year. Last year 33 volunteers
from Fiji, New Zealand, USA and Australia were involved for two weeks.
Each year the project raises $FJ150,000 to provide this vital service to
people in rural and remote communities, and
each year it gets harder to fund the project.
The
project has both local and overseas donors. Local Taveuni Island donors
grow one ton each of dalo and cassava, others supply vudi, pineapple,
bananas,
pawpaw and meat.
In
this unique project, the patients pays nothing, irrespective of where
they live. The project pays all transport, accommodation, meals, surgery
and
post-operative medication for door to door via the Taveuni Island
Hospital. In its 10th year, the project team returned full
vision to 339 eyes for 255 patients including 4 children. All patients
returned to their homes with renewed vigor for life
as full working members of their community, with the children now able
to go to school.
Once the
yearly fundraising is complete and everything is planned, the volunteers
all arrive and commence the numerous tasks required to take care
of the patients.
The
Logistics Team arrange the travel for patients coming from all over
Fiji, coordinating passenger services (including ships, buses, ferries,
hire
vehicles and donated local vehicles), the number of patients arriving
and departing daily, planning surgery numbers, liaising with Patient
Services for beds and food, attending to the Theatre Team’s
requirements. They are the first to arrive at the hospital
in the morning and last to leave at the end of the day. Past President
Michael Prasad has done this role for all of the last ten years.
Over
the same time period, Rotarian Joey Korovata has managed the Patient
Services Team. They produce all the meals (totaling approximately 2500
over
the two weeks), wash thousands of sheets, pillow cases and towels, and
of course make the beds and care for patients.
The
Medical Team carry out the medical procedures and supply the very best
of care for the patients. With 35 operations per day, sometimes three at
once, plus the pre-screening and post-operative care, their days are
full from 6.30am to 6.00pm.
The
total team compassion and dedication to the blind disadvantaged
throughout Fiji, supported by the Taveuni Rotary Club and Rotary Clubs
in New Zealand,
Australia, and the US, along with SEE International and the Hawaiian
Eye Foundation have made it possible for over 2,500 Fijian children and
adults to have received the gift of sight.
“I
witnessed patients who had travelled for over 36 hours who were so
happy to be there and so appreciative of the work that this incredible
group
of people accomplish. These patients who are transported, accommodated
and fed while having their sight restored, all provided by Rotary
Foundation Global Grant, donations of money, voluntary time and the gift
of love. It is a truly an amazing humanitarian
project,” concluded District 9920 Governor Jennie Herring.
Words: Past President Peter Malden, of the Rotary Club of Boronia, Vic (a sister club to Rotary Club of Taveuni Island, Fiji)
