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Loloma Foundation July 2004 Trip to Fiji
The above are government run homes or privately funded organizations for the elderly and infirmed. They each received walkers, wheelchairs, canes and crutches. They also received triage medical boxes filled for their specific needs. Depends, bed pads, and robes along with other such items were distributed as well.
Public schools for the poorest of Suva are overseen by Sister Patricia McLaughlin. The conditions in which the children are expected to thrive are deplorable. Sewage from the boy’s bathroom flows continuously next to the drinking fountain. Classroom books are nonexistent. First aide closet was bare but for a few items. Both schools received books, school supplies, triage medical boxes filled to their needs, and most importantly computers and printers.
These homes are for the abandoned, neglected, abused, and juvenile delinquent children of Suva. The boy’s home is a condemned building that once housed those with Leprosy. Because the building is condemned, the government refuses to put any money into it. The girl’s home, though somewhat nicer, offers very little for the girls other than sustenance. Both homes received clothing, books, school supplies, bedding, computers and printers. They also received triage medical boxes filled to their specific
The Early Intervention Center along with The Crippled Children’s Home received wheelchairs and crutches, along with medical triage boxes and other medical items. In all, thanks to Linda Kwasny’s diligence and instructions, close to fifty medical triage boxes were assembled. Twelve boxes went to the Sea Hawk www.seahawkfiji.com for our “Meds on Water” program. Eight boxes were dispersed by Ronna Goldstein of Coconut Grove www.coconutgrovefiji.com to nursing stations throughout Taveuni.
The team spent two days in the Nuku Health Center holding clinics for approximately two hundred patients. With our team freeing Dr. Alipate of the overwhelming clinical load, he was able to make long delayed public health inspections of water supplies, sewage treatment (septic systems, outhouses, etc.), mosquito control, etc. Allison, Heidi, Delissa, and Manoa passed out toothbrushes in three different schools. The response of receiving a toothbrush was very similar to one of our teenagers receiving a game boy.
As Loloma grows, we see, we hear, we experience, and we learn. Fiji is a country of mixed blessings. For all its richness in resources, the government budget is stretched far beyond its capability to meet the medical and educational needs of its people. Through the generosity of the friends of Loloma, we can begin to meet this need.
Thank you! |
This year’s July trip for the Loloma Foundation to Fiji proved to be both successful and a lesson in patience. With twelve very 
eager volunteers waiting in Suva, we were put on “Fiji Time,” as the containers’ arrival was delayed by a week and half. Time was spent constructively interviewing local agencies, homes, and schools who had sent in their wish lists for Loloma to review. Each agency was visited and inspected. Delissa Nuno of Medisend International 
Finally, with only a day and a half to go before leaving on the boat Seahawk 
The agencies of Suva and what they received are as follows: 
Department of Social Welfare Boy’s Center Mahaffey Girl’s Home
These are the area orphanages we serve. All received clothing, bedding, and medical triage boxes. Some received diapers, formula, and strollers.In addition to the above list, Colonial War Memorial Hospital received much needed disposable gloves, scrubs, i.v.’s , catheters, and other supplies. While in Suva, the national paper ran a front page story on the shortage of disposable gloves. Hospitals were washing and reusing them. It seems we arrived just in time.
Eight boxes were delivered to the Nadi Hospital by Robin Collingwood of 
The second portion of our trip went flawlessly as we joined Rogers Ford and Manoa Dugulele on the Seahawk. Rogers was given free reign to plan this portion of our trip, as she lives and sails these waters constantly. Less than two hours on the boat, she had us setting up for our first clinic on Kioa Island . While Heidi Higginbottom and Delissa passed out toothbrushes, Dr. Lance and Dr. Phil saw patients. In a village of approximately 150 people, fifty were seen in one afternoon. There were two cases of heart murmurs and one severe pink eye in a young teenage boy. He was afraid to see the doctor as he thought they would remove his eye. Dental care is non existent on this island!
The next island we visited was Rabi. A year ago January Rabi was hit hard by a cyclone. Much of the island was devastated. They are still waiting for government to send help. Dr. Alipate, the local Fijian doctor, a 2001 graduate of the Fiji School of Medicine, was the only doctor for the whole island. He was thrilled to have our assistance. 
The doctors saw hypertension, cough and cold, ear infections, some scabies and boils. Mostly the doctors saw what we later called the “Rabi Ramble” …My knee hurts, my back hurts, sometimes my elbow hurts…anything to get a stock of ibuprophen to take home for the family! The most serious case was a woman with possible TB Meningitis. The woman ran a high fever, was suffering from sever pain in neck, and unable to move her lower extremities. She was very disoriented and unresponsive. Without proper testing equipment, the doctors could only go on instinct, which proved once again infallible as the next day, progress had been made. 
The other patient that stands out in Nuku was a man in his early 40’s with inoperative lung cancer. Unable to believe that the American doctor could not produce a magic pill or perform miraculous surgery, he searched for hope. Dr. Phil explained nothing more could be done but to ease the pain. What he could do though, was care for his family and prepare them for his departure. The Nuku Health Center was sadly lacking in medical equipment and supplies. A patient must bring his own bedding, his own food, and sometimes his own medicine.
A second, half day clinic was held in a more remote area of Rabi called Buakonikai, (Village in the Forest.) The doctors had to ride an old bus then hitch a ride in the back of a truck along with twenty some odd children, most of which had been seen by the doctors earlier in the day. In Buakonikai, Lance and Phil saw approximately 30 patients. Scabies and boils were much more prevalent here. When the “toothbrush team” reached the school after a long upward hike, they found the village not too remote as the Mormons had beat them to the school. All children were very busily brushing their teeth with their new toothbrushes given to them by the Mormon Church.
Our last clinic was held on the island of Yanuca, population less than one hundred, at the end of the world! During the cyclone last year, all communication had been cut off as their one telephone/radio tower went down. The windows of the school were blown out, the outhouse for the children’s use is now gone. The people understand “Fiji Time,” and wait for the government to come with aide….again, this trip was about learning patience. The doctors saw just about all on the island. There were boils, eye and teeth problems, coughs and colds. 
Considering how remote the area was, they seemed in good health. Mormons had not discovered Yanuca yet, and the “Toothbrush Team” was able to pass out much needed toothbrushes to all children. 
After leaving the Sea Hawk, Allison and Delissa made hospital visits to Taveuni and Nadi . Taveuni was sadly lacking in most medication. They had no cough medicine and very little else. The new wing of the Nadi Hospital collapsed last year, moving all patients back to the condemned area. They too wait for the government to rebuild the hospital…on “Fiji Time.” They were thrilled as well to receive all medical equipment and supplies. We visited the Nadi Hospital on a Sunday morning. There was no doctor present, only a student. 
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