Pacific Partnership part3

 In  addition to the medical team in the hospital they had 5 teams going out to various far flung health centres. (Although their blog said one was only accessible by helicopter the NiVanautu seem to go by a plastic canoe with outboard motor or walk.)
Again the Eye team and the dental team did great work providing expertise and equipment in the way of glasses that are not available here. There are in fact 4 dentists in Luganville , two local and two Chinese but it would take them a fair amount of time to extract 1000 teeth and there are plenty more in need of attention.



I went with Nwarikar and Annie and a couple of the US health team to Tata School about an hour away. They seem well organised, again under a NSW Aussie GP this time from near Lismore. The eye group were particularly enthusiastic.

 People queued up in an orderly manner and waited patiently.

 The dentists did great work with two working with their assistants on either side of the hut.

Annie looking very harassed

 Even the men were vaguely interested.

The two happy US health people came for the ride and had a look around, not sure what they did.

Dr Torrin has great style.

 At Port Olry the island ladies organised lunch which some tucked into. Others stuck with the tried and tested dehydrated rations!


Back at the hospital these appeared which look great and I am sure will be put to use over the next year or so. It was a pity that our Physiotherapist was away helping the Vanuatu football team come third in the South Pacific league.






At the end of the day many people have better teeth and better eyesight. But the Circus has moved on and we are back to normal. If it helps people from richer countries to understand the needs of poorer countries that is a good thing but the contrast that the music and hardware represent to the rather perplexed bush folk is my memory.