Aussie-NZ surgery team to visit Hagen and Madang

By SHIRLYN BELDEN
A SURGERY team from Australia and New Zealand will visit two major hospitals later this month to deliver free plastic and reconstructive surgical services. 
The Interplast Australia and New Zealand hand surgery team will be at the Mt Hagen Provincial Hospital, Western Highlands on Jan 23-Feb 3, and Modilon Hospital in Madang on Feb 6-10.
The team will conduct consultation clinics on the first day followed by hand operations. 
Patients in Mt Hagen and Madang with conditions of cleft lip and palate, tumors, hand injuries or deformities and debilitating burn scars are urged to contact the surgical units at the two hospitals for an appointment. 
Patients with common skin diseases or cosmetic surgery requests will not be treated under the programme.
The visiting team of professionals is made up of surgeons, nurses, anaesthetists and a hand therapist.
The team is funded by AusAID and Rotary clubs in Australia and New Zealand.
It has been visiting PNG since 1985 providing free surgical intervention programmes to the people.
To date, 4,391 patient consultations have been made and 2,184 patients have undergone successful surgery.
The hand surgery programme will be funded by Avant Medical Insurance with support from AusAID’s health education and clinical services project. 
This project provides a range of clinical services to PNG through the deployment of specialist medical teams which are responsible for transferring clinical skills to local counterparts as well as provision of specific training sessions and workshops.
For Mt Hagen appointments call Dr Ben Yapo or Dr Guapo Kiagi on telephone number 542 1166 and Dr John Maihua on telephone number 422 2022 for appointments at Madang.