A beautiful cool (by Taveuni standards) morning brought a flood of Fijians to the Waiyevo Hospital. Some had stayed overnight in the dormitory. Others had stayed with family or friends following their surgery of yesterday. Many patients had surgery to one eye yesterday and were lining up now to have the second eye done.
The video below shows patients waiting patiently. You can also see our lead ophthalmic nurse Ineke helping a patient with the removal of a dressing and the fitting of a pair of sunglasses. This is the second last day of our project. Tomorrow will be the last day of surgery, with the closing ceremony to be held at 11am. Official guests will include the District Officer, Mr Abdul Hakim and the Sub Divisional Medical Officer (SDMO) Dr Emosi Koroi.
Patient Stories from Today:
Indira Narayan comes from Labasa on Vanua Levu. She heard about the eye project from her siter-in-law and made plans to visit Taveuni to see what could be done about her vision. She left Labasa (a major town on the north of Vanua Levu) by bus at 2am yesterday, changing to a ferry for the last hour of the trip. She is staying with her brother in Naqara, the only town on Taveuni.
She will return to Labasa next week to be with two of her sons and their families. Her eldest son lives in Canada. Indira has an interesting story to tell of her grandparents who came from India as indentured workers to work on the copra fields. Some years her grandparents bought a parcel of land near Bouma in the southeast of Taveuni, home to the famous Tavoro waterfalls.
Una Seruwaia is from Topalau village from central Taveuni, remarkably close to the amazing Tutu Rural Training Centre. On a side note, may we recommend you look at the Tutu story – one of the most significant training establishments in Fiji. Una has five married children (the last two are twins) She has 4 grandchildren, all boys. One of her sons works at the beautiful Paradise Resort in the south of Taveuni, one works in the hardware department of the Meridian store (there is little you cannot buy at this great store) and the other son works as a carpenter in Labasa.
Both her eyes need the cataracts removed. Una was born in the village of Nadivakarua in the province of Kubulau in Vanua Levu. She met her husband during the fifteen years she worked as a housekeeper at Garden Island Resort. She retired to look after him at home in 2015.
Mikaele Qeteqete spent his early years in Lavena and is still a local! He is married to Laumita, a Lavena woman. They have 5 daughters and 5 grandsons. One of his daughters is at teachers’ college. The second youngest lives at home and is not very well and 2 daughters work as cashiers at a supermarket in Suva. The youngest child is still at school.
He is a farmer and fisherman. His cataracts are on both eyes and has had them for at least 8 years. He was almost blind and having had one cataract done yesterday he was excited to tell your reporter that he can see again. What a thrill.
Aerea Jone is a Lavena man. Both he, his wife and his parents all come from Lavena. He met Falavia his wife in the village. They have 5 children, 2 boys and 3 girls. The eldest girl is married and lives in Suva. The oldest boy is a farmer and is married with 2 children. Another child is a primary school teacher in Suva and their youngest is training to be a primary school teacher. They have 5 grandchildren.
He has not worked for 6 years due to the loss of a leg due to diabetes. A new artificial leg means he can now help his wife with farming. His wife Falavia says -‘he helps me farming but is not much good when it is wet’. His first eye was done on Tuesday and the second eye today. He is so happy to be able to see his family again.
Akeneta Vasuinadi comes from Delaivuna in the south of Taveuni. She was born in Savu Savu. She has 1 daughter with whom she lives, and the daughter is married with 6 children. Akeneta lives with her daughter who supports her. She has 5 grandchildren. Fabiana, her daughter, farms and sells all her products in the market.
She told me that she had a hard life to begin with but now life is particularly good. Both of her eyes had cataracts. One was done earlier in the week and another today.
Rosana Valelala , her husband Iosefa and her parents are all Taveunians. They have one daughter Melania who has 7 children. Two boys and 5 girls. The eldest grandchild is on Viti Levu training to be a teacher. Five of the grandchildren are at primary school in Vuna. The family live separately but in the village of Vuna.
She has cataracts in both eyes, one to be done today and the next to be treated next year.
Vuna Village is one of the largest on Taveuni and the site of an important Rotary project last year – the construction of an exceptionally large village hall. The map here shows the position of Vuna on Taveuni.
