Medical toolkit gifted to Samoa from Whanganui with the hopes to benefit ear, nose and throat surgeons

Dr Sione, Dr PJ Faumuina and Mike Webber with a toolkit that was gifted to a Samoan hospital to benefit ear, nose and throat surgeries. Photo / Supplied

A toolkit filled with $45,000 worth of ear, nose and throat theatre instruments has been gifted to a Samoan hospital to make a difference.

In early June, Whanganui ear, nose and throat specialist, Dr PJ Faumuina and optician Mike Webber visited the Tupua Tamasese Meaole the Second Hospital to deliver the new equipment to ENT surgeon Dr Sione.

Originally from Samoa, Dr PJ Faumuina, who has lived in Whanganui for 17 years, said the trip was about helping local medical staff help themselves.

"Very little meaningful practical help has gone on the ground that has actually helped our next door neighbours, everyone goes to the other side of the world but the islands sit on our back doorstep and are still struggling," he said.

Faumuina went about seeking funds to purchase the instruments and the term toolbox came about with the aim for it to go to Samoa and then return as initially, they did not have an ENT surgeon.

Rose Charities New Zealand, that has an international reputation for its support of eye clinics in Cambodia, jumped on board the project and gathered funding.

Rotary Club of Wanganui North, Rotary Club of Christchurch, Harold Thomas Trust and PIF Foundation all assisted in funding.

Rose chairwoman Trish Gribben said the reasoning behind their involvement was seeing the need to support children.

"Children who have untreated ear, nose and throat problems in early childhood like glue ear, can be scarred for life if they can't hear well they don't do well at school, become disruptive, and have behaviour problems.

"It's not far-fetched to say untreated ENT problems can be a building block for an anti-social life," she said.

Gribben said the children in Samoa are our neighbours and deserve better.

"It fits Rose philosophy perfectly: Help a local person to do a grassroots project when a little effort can have a big impact," Gribben said.

Faumuina who has gone over to Samoa to conduct a clinic and theatre for the last 25 years said with the nature of the tools in the toolbox, anything can be done with it and kids will benefit the most from it as they are the most common patients he sees.

The toolbox alongside the instruments has custom-designed trays which will make it possible to transport equipment around.

Optician Webber found the trip very rewarding and said Dr Sione and the nurses in the ENT department were very pleased to receive the toolkit instruments.

"During the time that I spent in the ENT department, I was able to observe and watch PJ and Sione working together, with PJ discussing each case with Sione the best method of treatment, they were usually difficult cases with many being cancerous," he said.

Webber said he was very impressed with Dr Sione and is confident that the ENT department is under good leadership and the toolkit is in safe hands.

A $70,000 theatre tower has also been donated by Dr Murali Mahadevan, an otolaryngologist surgeon at Starship Children's Hospital to the hospital to set up the next level of surgery.

Faumuina will return with Mahadevan later this year alongside another Whanganui doctor, David Webber to help integrate the tower into the hospital.

At present, a new initiative introduced by the South Pacific Commission sees a new process being introduced to the health sector of the Pacific nations.

Faumuina said it is about resourcing the islands to help themselves and let them lead.

"The islands are very well aware they need to start looking after their populations in the best way that they can so maybe setting up a centre of excellence in the middle of the Pacific for ENT in Samoa is one way of contributing," he said.

Faumuina said it is about helping Pacific Islanders to help each other out by developing the workforce and helping skill sets.