Even colder weather today with considerable rain but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the 60-70 patients at the hospital this morning. Even at 7.30am it was standing room only. The patients from yesterday sitting quietly waiting for the dressings to be removed. The people from Koro Island and Rabi nervously waiting for evaluation by our team of eye doctors. The patients who had surgery yesterday and now backing up to have the other eye repaired as they realised what a life changing experience cataract surgery was. People from age 30 to age 92. The short video below shows an eye test being done by one of our volunteer international nursing staff.
Patient Stories from Today:
Suluweti Kula arrived on Taveuni from Koro Island yesterday. She had made herself comfortable on a mattress in a building on the Taveuni hospital grounds. A nice dinner last night, sleep and then breakfast cooked by one of our wonderful meal volunteers. She then was brought up to the main hospital prepared to meet one of the many visiting eye doctors. She came alone, not nervous, just excited about having her vision restored.
Suluweti met her husband when he visited Koro to preach the gospel from his home at Laitasare, near Suva. She has one son who lives with her and provides for her village Kade on Koro Island. She will return home on Sunday a changed woman!
Laisini Kunainlovo Is also from Koro Island. Although quite close to Taveuni Laisini arrived at the hospital by travelling from her home to Suva, then by ferry to Savu Savu and finally to Taveuni – an exceptionally long and arduous journey. Her only complaint? It was extremely hot on the ferry. Laisini is a widow and has 8 children (6 boys and 2 girls) and several lovely grandchildren. She did her primary school lessons at the school on Koro and then went to Labasa for high school. She has two disabling cataracts and is certainly looking forward to having them removed today.
She lives on Koro with one of her sons who is an excellent farmer and provides her and his family, with plenty of food.
Hussein Fida is from Qila village on Taveuni. Qila is a large settlement in the mountains of Taveuni (see map) He lives with his wife Vidya Wati. They have 6 children, 2 boys and 4 girls. 3 of their children still live on Taveuni and who can blame them! For those that do not know it, Taveuni is known as the garden island of Fiji, with rich volcanic soil and plenty of rain.
And this really explains why Hussein and Vidya live on Taveuni. Husseins’ father and mother came to live on the island at the time of the Germit movement of indentured labour from India. They worked on the Morris Hedstrom copra plantation at Burotu near where Niusawa Methodist High School now stands. Hussein had his first eye operated on yesterday and, wisely, decided to wait to see the result before committing to having his second eye treated. He quickly realised just how good the result was and lined up again this morning to have the second eye adjusted. A great result all around.
Rusiate Vakalakovi from Koro Island in the village of Nabasovi. He has been widowed for twenty years and he simply farms to live. Dalo, Cassava, Uvi and Yaqona for cash. He has 3 children and 5 grandchildren. He came in a group of 40 residents of Koro via Suva and Savu Savu before arriving at the hospital. His cataract is the result of an accident caused by an incident during Cyclone Winston in 2016.
Autiko Mailau from Koro and the village of Siunvaca. He is married to Nunia for these last 20 years and they have one daughter who works in Suva. Autiko also has a problem with his knees which makes getting around quite difficult. He uses two tall sticks to support himself and manages to farm to live. Autiko and his wife were both born on Koro Island.
Sera Ilisoni Tinai was born in Suva. Her dad was from Koro and her mum from Ra and they settled in Koro in the village of Nasau. She is now a kindergarten teacher in the village of Kade. She says it is challenging work, but she loves going to work each day. The children just love going to school and absenteeism is rare. There are only 11 children in the class. The population of Kade is a little more than 200. She has a pterygium caused by spending too much time fishing!
Sereana Kalinimoce is 65 years of age, and her husband Rusiate were both born in Koro and live in Kade village. They have NINE children, 5 boys and 4 girls and about 13 grandchildren! Rusiate farms and fishes and one of their children works for Qantas in Sydney, Australia. She has a very nasty cataract in her right eye which will be removed this afternoon.
