Perth Orthopaedic ClinicMedical Aid Work in PNG

ORTHOPAEDICOUTREACH

PAPUANEW GUINEA

Each year a team from the Perth Orthopaedic Institute travels to Papua New Guinea for two weeks to offer their surgical and educational services to local doctors and patients.

Professor David Wood first went to PNG for three months as a medical student in 1979 to study infectious diseases. In 2004 he was asked to return to provide bone tumour surgery expertise. He has been returning every year since then.

PNG, a developing country just 130km from our northern coastline, is our closest neighbour and a former colony. Australia has strong links with Papua New Guinea, particularly following the Second World War when local “Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels” saved Australian soldiers along the notorious Kokoda Track.

The team spends a week in Port Moresby in the main hospital and medical school taking part in a teaching program, and then they travel to remote rural areas such as Rabaul in East New Britain and Kimbe in West New Britain. They visit Rabaul Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital.

The population of PNG is 6 million and the healthcare budget is about $30 per person per year. In many hospitals and regional medical centres there are no X-ray services, no pathology services and only rudimentary surgical services.

Originally, the team was asked to assess the bone and soft tissue cancer services, which are essentially non-existent. If a person is diagnosed with cancer in PNG there is limited treatment available – no radiotherapy, no chemotherapy and, in many cases, no pain relief. Patients, not just cancer patients, die from conditions that are very treatable in Australia.

Port Moresby

Perth

Kimbe Rabaul

General equipment shortages are a major problem.The team gathers as much donated equipment as they can and take all the surgical equipment they will need for surgery while in PNG.

Over the past 7 years Orthopaedic Outreach at Perth Orthopaedic Clinic has managed to improve the imaging facilities in PNG. They have donated 2 CT scanners, 8 portable X-ray machines together with X-ray film-developing machines and 3 X-ray screening machines. They’ve also sent over hospital beds, operating tables, anaesthesia machines, operating theatre drapes, X-ray boxes, ultrasound machines and a variety of other equipment, all transported by sea.

It is estimated that more than $3 million worth of equipment has been donated to PNG by Orthopaedic Outreach at Perth Orthopaedic Clinic.

FAR LEFT: Up and walking after having a femur fracture fixed. Many people are confined to bed for up to 6 months whilst waiting for a visiting team to operate. LEFT: Professor David Wood shakes hands with the Governor of West New Britain, Peter Humphreys, on receipt of a shipping container sent to Kimbe. ABOVE: The floors of Lae Hospital; When supplies run out, surgeons create an improvised suture using a hypodermic needle; Drying out surgical gloves for reuse. RIGHT: Roz Teo with two of her local fans. COVER IMAGE: Group of children in Rabaul.

THE GARDASIL PROGRAM

In 2011, Professor David Wood and his team will pilot a 10-year Gardasil vaccination program in PNG.

Gardasil helps prevent the human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide, with 80% of cases occurring in developing countries such as PNG.

MEETTHETEAM

PROFESSOR DAVID WOOD Orthopaedic Surgeon

Professional interests: Bone and soft tissue tumour surgery, limb reconstruction and researchPersonal interests: Swimming, paddling and scuba diving

Professor David Wood trained in Leicester, UK and completed a prestigious Enneking Fellowship at Gainsville University, Florida before commencing work in Perth. He is the director of the Perth Orthopaedic Institute and a champion of healthcare in PNG. Improving medical conditions for its people has become a mission for Professor Wood. “I do the work because to ignore the plight of people in a country only 130kms from our border would, in my view, be inhumane.”This year one of Professor Wood’s dreams will be realised when the Gardasil vaccine program begins. He aims to protect hundreds of women against cervical cancer by administering the injections to girls in their last year of primary school. “Getting Gardasil up there could save so many lives,” he says.

DR DERMOT MURPHYAnaesthetist

Professional interests: Teaching, regional anaesthesia and post-operative pain managementPersonal interests: Scuba diving

Dermot completed his advanced Anaesthesia training in Dublin and Perth. He works at Hollywood Private Hospital and at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. He has travelled to PNG every year since 1995 and has conducted anaesthesia and teaching in Port Moresby, Rabaul, Kimbe, Madang, Lae and Kavieng.

PROFESSOR PIERS YATESOrthopaedic Surgeon (not pictured)

Piers Yates is the Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Fremantle Hospital. He has travelled to PNG as part of Orthopaedic Outreach three times. He is an integral part of the team and remains actively involved in the program.

ROZ TEORegistered NurseRoz trained as a nurse in Perth and continues to work in both the public and private sectors. Roz always comes back from PNG with amazing tales to tell.

STACEY BADRYExercise PhysiologistProfessional interests: Musculoskeletal rehabilitation/ pilatesPersonal interests: Kite surfing, snowboarding and travelling

Stacey attended the University of Alberta in Canada. A 3 month placement turned into a 3 year stay at Hollywood Functional Rehabilitation. She now works at Live Pilates using exercise and pilates to rehabilitate her patients. Stacey competed in The Rottnest Swim as a member of The Birds of Paradise team. Although she has travelled extensively she is keen to visit PNG and help establish the Gardasil program.

KATE MARTINExercise Physiologist

Professional interests: Exercise rehabilitation Personal interests: Recently completed first half ironman

Kate trained at The University of Notre Dame, Fremantle. She is currently completing her Masters in Autologous Tenocyte Repair and works at the Hollywood Functional Rehabilitation Clinic. Kate competed in The Rottnest Swim as a member of The Birds of Paradise team and is looking forward to the challenges of PNG and meeting wonderful people.

JENNI WOODHOUSEExercise PhysiologistProfessional interests: Musculoskeletal rehabilitationPersonal interests: Hockey, swimming and coffeeing

Jenni trained at UWA, Perth and works at the Hollywood Functional Rehabilitation Clinic with pre and post-surgery joint replacement patients. Jenni competed in The Rottnest Swim as a member of The Birds of Paradise team raising money for the Gardasil program in PNG. She is excited and grateful for the opportunity to work in PNG for the first time.. JESSICA COLLIVERExercise Physiologist

Professional interests: Musculoskeletal rehabilitationPersonal interests: Swimming, hockey and travelling

Jess completed a degree in Exercise and Sport Science at the University of Notre Dame, and is doing a Masters degree at UWA. She works at the Hollywood Functional Rehabilitation Clinic with joint replacement patients. Jess will be visiting PNG for the first time and looks forward to seeing where the money she and her team raised for The Rottnest Swim will go.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR RICHARD CAREY SMITHOrthopaedic Surgeon

Professional interests: Trauma tumours and teachingPersonal interests: Anything on or under water

Richard trained in London, Cambridge, Perth and Vancouver. He learns new things every time he visits PNG and was particularly thrilled in 2010 when the team was given some medical nails, used in the reconstruction of bones, and had the local workshop in Lae adjust them to fit PNG patients. Following surgery, “Patients were up and running the next day!”

DR GRANT BOOTH Orthopaedic Surgeon (not pictured)

Grant Booth is an Orthopaedic Surgeon based in Perth. He has travelled to PNG as part of the Orthopaedic Outreach team several times and will continue to do so in the future.

TRAINING& TRICKYCASES

The purpose of the team’s medical aid trips is twofold. Firstly, to provide education to the medical staff. Whilst the hospitals are understaffed, they still manage to perform amazing medical tasks given the very limited equipment and supplies.

Secondly, to undertake the more difficult surgical cases that the local doctors save for our trip each year. Professor Wood’s work often involves tumour surgery. In many cases the patients don’t visit a doctor until the disease has progressed. “Often massive tumours are dealt with in a palliative way, which could have been dealt with in a curative fashion if they were diagnosed a little earlier,” he says.

The team also deals with neglected trauma cases. This involves fixing anything from limbs crushed by coconut trees to wounds caused by gunshots and arrows.

LEFT: Surgical staff in Goroka. ABOVE LEFT: Professor Wood teaching; Richard Carey Smith teaching; Staff from regional health centres having lessons on plaster cast application ABOVE: Local disputes often end in violence. Crime is a major problem with lawlessness increasing as poverty worsens. This young man was hit by some arrows. One is in his arm, as shown with the cassowary feathers, and another bolt in the chest; Big toes or limbs have a variety of causes. This patient had an amputation of the floppy 2nd toe, and a growth plate operation to stop the big toe growing any further. RIGHT: The young man in theatre was driving the bus from Lae to the highlands. The bus was attacked, and he broke his femur – after a 3 month wait in bed, he is being fixed and the next day he was walking again.

Orthopaedic Outreach is a registered charity and therefore any donations are tax deductible. If you would like to support Professor Wood and the team’s work in PNG a cheque can be made out to Orthopaedic Outreach - PNG fund.

Cheques can be given to staff at the front desk or sent to:

Orthopaedic OutreachGate 3 Verdun StreetNedlands, 6009

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Richard Carey Smith with patient; Men in costume at the Lae show. Lae is the provincial centre where the team work and is situated at the base of the some huge mountains. Lae acts as the provincial and legal centre of Morobe province; Professor Wood with anti-aircraft gun from Second World War; Local children; Dermot Murphy and local children having a jam session; Dermot Murphy (2nd from left) receives a pidgin lesson from local theatre staff.