Health Tour - Rabi Island Fiji

[Stacey King]

Theresa Ralogaivau Wednesday, July 14, 2010 FIJI TIME ONLINE

SAVING islanders as much as $400 in travelling costs, a team of doctors and health practitioners are on Rabi Island allowing them easy access to health services.

Medical Superintendent Dr Jaoji Vulibeci said islanders forego carrying out operations on lumps on their bodies because of the distance and cost involved in travelling to Labasa.

The team of 12 medical officers include paediatricians, anaesthetists , surgeons, physiotherapist, dentists and medical doctors.

"But these lumps could be malignant and leaving it untreated could later affect them in life because of pre-existing conditions such as tuberculosis which is a concern on Rabi," he said.

"These are small operations that are performed for free but the cost of travelling is just not worth it.

"We also have villagers from Tunuloa and Tukavesi area because of the distance from town.

"We had a similar outreach program organised in Taveuni and Savusavu and we saw the response was great.

"Some of the operations that we perform include those for hernia."

Biomedical engineers also fixed the generator at the Rabi Health Center at Nuku which had been down for several months.

"So we were able to carry out the necessary operations," he said.

The team of 12 medical officers include paediatricians, anaesthetists , surgeons, physiotherapist, dentists and medical doctors.