Yesterday we showed you pictures of how the patients spend their time while recovering. The photos were so popular that we decided to do another slide show of all the equipment you don’t see when you come for your eye examination. Don’t let it frighten you! (Photos courtesy of Helene Brown). All this equipment has been donated to the Rotary Club of Taveuni by the Rotary Foundation.
Patient Stories from Today:
Viliame Roni is from Waimaqera Village which is in the south of Taveuni. Readers will be aware of the devastation caused by Cyclone Winston in 2016. At that time virtually every building south of a line through Wairiki was destroyed, leaving thousands homeless. It has been a slow process to restore accommodation for those living in this area. Only recently was the large village hall in Vuna rebuilt by the Rotary Club of Taveuni. Viliame still lives in temporary accommodation but there is good news! His son is working for the British army in England and has sent home sufficient money to rebuild a proper, cyclone-proof home for his family.
Viliame has 3 children, one girl lives in Australia and the other lives at home. His cataract will be dealt with today and he is looking forward to getting back to his normal farming life.
Akosita Diwaqa, 56 years of age and proud of her age, lives in Naselesele village, not 500 metres from my home. Her husband Beiamino sadly passed away from a heart attack some years ago and left her to raise 6 children. Two of her children are still at home and the other 4 live with their partners in Naselesele village. She was born in Savu Savu and her parents came from Vanua Levu. It did seem to me that she had a tough life. However, it is worth noting that the Fijian practice of living in a community provides wonderful support. She has plenty of friends and neighbours and will never go hungry!
Torika Lakai, a good friend of Akosita (above) is the same age. This is about the age that many Fijians are affected by cataracts and pterygiums. Torika lives in the pretty village of Qeleni in the north of Taveuni. Her husband Paulo, her 7 children (4 girls and 3 boys) all live in Qeleni and who can blame them. There is wonderfully fertile soil and they live near to good fishing grounds. She has 5 grandchildren and the entire family live in Qeleni.
Torika lived on Yanuca Island as a child and moved to Taveuni in her teen years. For many years she worked at Dive Taveuni resort as a housekeeper and wait-person. We were discussing our favourite Fijian foods and I mentioned my choice – a creeping, fast growing plant that, when boiled or steamed with coconut milk (lolo) is wonderful. I asked her what the Fijian word was for this spinach which we grow in our compound. She said ‘spinach’! There is an English word now settled into the Fijian language.
Aboli Korovuka is from Qaleni village in the north of Taveuni. Born in that village and still lives there. He was screened by the Fiji Society for the Blind and this will be his second eye. The first cataract was removed in earlier surgery in 2017. He is 78 years of age. His wife Manailagi comes from the province of Macuapa. They have 5 sons and only the youngest at 14 years is at home. Another lives and works in the Cook Islands as a chef, one is a taxi driver in Lautoka, one is a carpenter in Nadi and one lives in Suva – also a carpenter.
Aboli is a farmer, just for his own family use. There are four grandchildren, and they are all boys.
Apimeleki Tuiccaucau was born on the island of Beqa in the village Dakuni. He is widowed. He spent much of his early life as a mechanic in Suva. In 2019 he had a cataract removed in Suva. However, the surgery was not satisfactory. The following year while using his brush-cutter he was injured by a flying stone in his right eye. He continued to work as a mechanic but now with extremely poor eyesight. A friend told him that there was work on Taveuni fixing machinery and he set off for Taveuni to make some extra money for friends of friends.
While on the island driving in a taxi, the driver told him of the eye project. So, he attended Taveuni Hospital, had the cataract surgery repeated to the eye not properly ‘repaired’ in Suva and now says it is ‘a miracle’ – he can see again. He had been told that the eye injury from the rock could never be fixed. This was incorrect as our wonderful eye doctors have fixed that problem as well.
He has decided to move to Taveuni permanently. He has plenty of work fixing small machinery. What a great result!
Alisi Vogive is 65, the eldest of 6 children. She and her parents live on Taveuni in the village of Lovonivonu. She had the cataract on her right eye attended to last week and the left eye today. She was nearly blind before coming to the hospital last week.. Her eyesight is quickly recovering. Her husband Lario Yaca and Alisi had 9 children, 8 of whom are married. She realised she needed help and mentioned this to her family. Her sister and all her children immediately came to her aid. She will be ever thankful for their support. She has 15 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.
Another reason to have a large family!
What happens when the bandage is removed?
This is such a frequent question. There is no exact answer as each patient is different. But normally after the short surgery the patient is escorted to the dormitory where they lie down to let things settle. They are given 1 or 2 meals, stay overnight on a mattress (no heating required!), and in the morning one of our highly skilled eye doctors (known as ophthalmologists in the western world) and an eye nurse, remove the dressing, administer some eye drops and then they are rechecked by the doctors. Here is Doctor Grace Richter and her patient:
Today’s Statistics
