APIA: Friday 13 July 2012: An Interplast team from Australia and New Zealand will assist Samoa National Health Services to conduct specialist consultation clinics and perform plastic and reconstructive surgery services.

The surgical team will visit from 13 – 22 August and consists of:
Dr. Benjamin Norris        Surgeon
Dr. Damian Marucci        Surgeon
Dr. Alan Goodey                Anaesthetist
Ms. Simone Kairouz          Nurse
Ms. Elke Lushington        Nurse

The AusAID funded Interplast team will conduct the consultation clinic on Monday 13 August at 9:00am at the Orthopaedic Building Clinic at Moto’otua. Plastic and reconstructive surgery will be performed at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital from 14 – 22 August 2012.

The Australian Government funds approximately fifty surgical teams every year in the Pacific, including three in Samoa. The assistance, under AusAID’s Pacific Islands Program, fills specific gaps in local medical services and provides on-the-job training to local medical staff. This will be the 26th Interplast plastic and reconstructive surgery visit to Samoa since 1984.

Patients with conditions including; scarring from burns, hand surgery, cleft lip and palate, tumours and other disabling conditions that would benefit from treatment by the Interplast team, are urged to contact Dr. Aleki Fuimaono at Tupua Tamasese Meaole II Hospital (Surgical Unit) on 21212 ext 214.

The clinic is by appointment only and patient screening will take place the week prior.