Pacifika Medical Association conference closes

The 18th Pacifika Medical Association conference, held at the Warwick Le Lagoon Resort in Port Vila, over three days this week closed Friday evening.

The conference brought together close to 300 doctors surgeons, nurses and participants from New Zealand, Australia and representatives from Pacific island countries and discussed health issues, workforce development and mental health.

The meeting was opened by the Head of State, President Baldwin Lonsdale, who reminded the health professionals of the importance of their work in dealing with human health conditions by referring them to a Bible text that highlights this special nature of their work. The President also recalled his experiences with Tropical Cyclone Pam and the devastations in brought to Vanuatu.

The Chairman of the Pacifika Medical Association, Dr. Kiki Maoate, spoke with 96 BuzzFM’s Kizzy Kalsakau about the association and the benefits of holding its conference in Vanuatu.

“We had to think hard about coming to Vanuatu soon after the devastations of Pam and the benefits surrounding that. But at the end of the day it’s probably far better for us to come and we behave like a big family,” he said.

“And also at this time in the development of the health sector, having come to Vanuatu over the last 10 to 15 years now, we know most of your health sector workers and these are kids, professionals who we’re continuing to associate with not only in the health sector but also in the Ministry of Health and the various Ministers of Health that we’ve known in the past,” he added.

“This is good timing for us to be here. It supports the work that’s been done and reinforces how good everybody in Vanuatu was during the time of the devastation and the recovery that’s actually taking place and they continue to do good work. Our role is to come here and say “fantastic”, Dr. Maoake said.

On another point about benefits, the meeting provided some money for the Vanuatu economy and an opportunity to talk about things.

“And then have the association work with the psychiatric health professionals come and be part of the whole program adds another level of discussion and comfort because it does touch all the healing and recovery and part of the theme of the conference,” Dr. Maoake continued.

Making contacts and building relations is another benefit from such a meeting. “The connections and relationships that people develop will continue for the next 10, 20 years because people will go away from here and continue to dialogue, and some of the kids here will end up being health professionals and end up in NZ, Australia or different countries furthering their studies and that’s what we want out of this.”

“Vanuatu 10 years ago was very low in the number of qualified specialists from the ni-Van perspective, now that’s gone up to about a dozen and in another ten years we expect the number to double or triple in line with the planning that’s gone into your system,” the President of PMA added.

“Depending on the capacity for referrals overseas, you bring teams over to operate and reduce your cost of travel overseas. Vanuatu is now in that capacity. In your neurology program, these are no longer referred because Dr. Richard Leona and that team do all the surgery here. At the orthopedic, Dr. Trevor Cullwick is coming back after spending two years in Christchurch, so all the orthopedic work will be done here. Dr. Basil Leodoro is looking after all the kids.”

The Pacifika Medical Association is a corporate society and charitable organization, with a board that is composed of a mixture of medical, nursing and allied staff located in NZ and its membership extends to Australia and the Pacific islands. Next year it will mark the 20th anniversary of its establishment.