Rotary Information
James Hamilton presented Rotary Information on Tuesday with a well detailed explanation of ROMAC which stands for Rotary Oceania Medical Aid to Children. and is a combined Australia and New Zealand Multi-District Rotary project. ROMAC has been in operation for over 30 years.
ROMAC commenced in March 1988 out of the actions of an Australian Rotarian who, with a group of surgeons, visited Lambasa in Fiji. They found the child mortality rate as high as 25% in some places. They quickly identified that lack of medical and surgical facilities and skills for children of the island nations in Oceania, was a major cause.
ROMAC in New Zealand and Australia enlists assistance from medical experts, hospitals, nurses, physiotherapists, pathology and radiology services, airlines, sponsors and other supporters. Today ROMAC is providing surgical treatment to around 50 children from Oceania every year – we are making a huge difference in their lives.
Mission Statement
ROMAC provides surgical treatment for children in Australia and New Zealand from developing countries from our Pacific region in the form of life giving and/or dignity restoring surgery not accessible to them in their home country.
Objectives
Provide hope and restore dignity to transform a child’s life
Provide the best possible surgical and medical expertise
Engage Rotary and the community at all levels to fund and support the ROMAC cause
To maintain and improve the quality of the management process and ensure high quality governance of the ROMAC project
HOW CAN WE HELP
Caring for a ROMAC child as a parent/guardian is a rewarding and satisfying family experience.
ROMAC has the infrastructure in place to save and improve the lives of the unfortunate children in the Oceania Region, who are brought to Australia and New Zealand by ROMAC, with life threatening problems that cannot be corrected in their own country, and we cannot continue this good work without the support of the Carer families.
Guide for carers includes details on
ARRIVAL
CARER ALLOWANCE
MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS
HOSPITALISATION
GENERAL
You Can Volunteer to Help ROMAC
Some of the ways a volunteer can assist ROMAC are collecting a patient on arrival from the airport, taking a patient to an appointment, visiting a patient in hospital or making an arrangement for a patient to go on a short stay trip to the country. There are other ways as well, such as taking a voluntary management position with ROMAC.
If this interests you, the best way to follow up is to contact your nearest ROMAC Regional Chair.
BECOME A ROMAC FRIEND
ROMAC Friends is a wonderful network of caring people who want to support its mission to provide life giving and life changing surgery to children from the Southwest Pacific, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste. The sophisticated surgery and complex nursing care we deliver is not available in the children’s country of residence, so our medical support is central to their good health and future happiness.
By contributing just $100.00 per year, you can become a ROMAC Friend, and join like-minded people who want to help sick children achieve normal and happy lives. You can renew your annual membership automatically, or you can recommit year-by-year. The choice is yours, and you can opt out at the end of any one-year membership period.
As a ROMAC Friend you will be kept up to date on our activities and our patients’ stories, so you will see how your support is helping the children.
District Committee and Hosting Club Role
Members of the ROMAC Committee are responsible for the day-to-day management of the ROMAC patient and their parent/guardian and will co-ordinate with members of the Hosting Club.
Hosting Clubs are encouraged to take an active interest in the care and support of the patient and their parent/guardian during their stay, but it is a matter for each Hosting Club to decide its level of involvement.
Ken has life-saving surgery
Ken with cardiologist Doctor Forsey
March 11, 2018
Ken lives with his family in a remote village in the Solomon Islands where they have no running water or electricity. He was born prematurely at 6 months, so he was taken by canoe to a clinic and then transported to hospital, where he spent the next 3 months. However, over time, his heart started to fail. Sydney cardiologist Dr James Weaver, who was visiting the Solomon Islands, saw 14-year-old Ken and was concerned he would not survive much longer without treatment. He referred him to ROMAC. Ken was flown to Sydney for major heart surgery at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick. His operation went well under the care of cardiologist Doctor Forsey, and he returned to the Solomon Islands to attend school, play soccer with his friends and enjoy a happy, healthy life.
THANK YOU