PRESIDENT

 Noeline welcomed our guest speaker, Jeanette Everington.

Tony introduced Jeanette, who is a Rotarian engagement coordinator for Interplast Australia and New Zealand.

Jeanette talked to us about the life changing work that Interplast does.

Interplast was founded by a Rotarian in 1983. He saw a similar program operating in America and saw an opportunity. He got together with a colleague from the Royal Australasian College of surgeons.

Together they put together the first Interplast program.

Teams consist of an anaesthetist, one or two surgeons and one or two nurses, all volunteers. They also have physiotherapists and therapists.

They operate in 17 countries across the Asia-Pacific region and since 1983 have performed 26,510 surgeries. They also train anaesthetists, surgeons, nurses and allied health professionals in partner countries. The surgeons perform reconstructive and plastic surgery on people suffering from burns, disease, or other traumatic incidents.

Jeanette then showed us examples of Interplast's work, including before and after photos of patients. Something that makes Interplast unique is that they only respond to requests, they never impose themselves on hospitals.

Covid 19 forced all Interplast programs to shut down in the last week of February.  When normality returns, Interplast will resume its life changing activities, probably in January or February 2021. However, surgeons here are now able to assist in some surgery and reconstructive operations via video link over the Internet with the aid of local surgeons. Online training programs have also been developed.

Jeanette thanked the Goolwa Rotary club for their total donations of $3500, she then suggested that seeing as our club was not having face to face meetings, we might like to donate the cost of one meal to Interplast.

For a donation of $50,000, a team would go overseas for two weeks, and see up to 50 patients.

 

 

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