Our guest speaker at this week's Rotary Zoom meeting was Janette Etherington, the Interplast Rotarian Engagement Coordinator.
Interplast sends teams of volunteer plastic and reconstructive surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and allied health professionals to provide life changing surgery and medical training in seventeen countries across Asia-Pacific.
This work is undertaken in partnerships with local organisations, including hospitals, universities and local non government organisations.
The mission of Interplast is to "repair bodies and rebuild lives".
Janette describes her role as her "dream job".
Janette has been a Rotarian for 6 years. She is a member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Nunawading, in District 9810.
Her Rotary journey originally started when she was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Nunawading to attend RYLA when she was 19.
In Janette's previous work lives she has held a number of senior management positions in retail, bookselling and the apprenticeship sector, working in both commercial and not-for-profit sectors.
While Janette doesn't have any medical qualifications, she has absolute passion for the work that Interplast does, and the difference it makes to so many peoples’ lives.
Janette pointed out that since 1982 Interplast has performed in excess of 26,510 patient surges and has supported approximately 8,120 training opportunities for medical personal in the 17 countries in which it works.
Janette shared a number of "before" and "after" photographs with us, detailing the amazing corrective work undertaken by the surgeons.
The following photos of "Maria" are examples of the great work that Interplast undertakes.
"Maria" - before and after
Over the years a total of $43,895 has been donated to Interplast by the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza and one very generous individual member of our Club.
Jeanette explained that the work of Interplast in 2020 has been impacted by COVID-19 and she talked about work on that disease being undertaken in each of the 17 countries, both by Interplast and other agencies, including the World Health Organisation.
While all of the 60 to 70 on site programs planned by Interplast have been postponed because of COVID-19, many activities are now being undertaken on-line. This includes with training and doctors and nurses providing online assistance to local medical staff through the use of smart phones and iPads.
Jeanette's talk was followed up with a lengthy question and answer session. Feedback from members has suggested that Jeanette's session was one of the best that we have been able to have using Zoom. We look forward to her being able to visit us in person at a later date.
Jeanette Etherington on Zoom
