Welcome to Rotary International District 9630
Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Charleville, and the famous Outback Queensland, Australia.
ROMAC- ROTARY OCEANIA MEDICAL AID FOR CHILDREN LIMITED
Northern Region Director’s Report to the ROMAC Board
Sydney : 8th & 9th September 2007
1. Patients’ Report
Both the Medical Director and Operations Director have included reports on all patients treated this year and currently in the Northern Region. Further details follow:
Since July 2006 there has been 13 patients treated – We currently have 5 patients and 2 accepted and awaiting arrival with 6 pending. There are also 3 patients that are in the throes of being referred with Dr John Arvier assessing their ability to become patients.
Patients have come from 6 different countries.
Armando Soares R-0230 (District 9600)
Armando Soares returned to Timor Leste in June after a highly successful operation on his diaphragmatic hernia at the Mater Private Hospital. The time spent in the intensive care unit was excessive and as a result for the first time we have had to negotiate with the hospital a figure beyond our normal ceiling of $15,000. This figure should be known as a result of meeting between Operations Director Bryan Mason and the hospital administration prior to this Board meeting.
K’Chin R-0204 (District 9600)
K’Chin returned to Vietnam in February 2006 and arrived back in Brisbane April 2007 with the intention of adjustment to his right leg cast. K’Chin turned 18 in June. He continues to be hosted by the Rotary Club of Hamilton and home hosted again by Noel and Elaine Morgan.
Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Paul Pincus has carried out the below knee amputation and K’Chin continues to receive preliminary treatment prior to the provision of his prosthesis, with his leg being cast on Tuesday 11th September.
Rafika Rasmiddin R-0220 (District 9600)
A 9 year old (on 17th May 2007) from Aceh, Indonesia - burns contractures to hands, face and feet as a result of an earthquake in November 2005 and subsequent house fire. Rafika has now had 9 procedures on hands and face and is slowly but surely improving however there are still many more operations to be completed. The Royal Children’s Hospital account has reached the $15,000 cap but the willingness is still there for costs to be absorbed beyond this by the hospital.
Uswatun Rasmiddin R-0221(District 9600)
The 8 year old sister to Rafika, (born August 1999) – she has similar burns to her sister. Both girls are being attended to by Associate Professor Roy Kimble, Head of the Royal Children’s Hospital Burns Unit in Brisbane. As with Rafika, Uswatun has had 9 procedures on hands, feet and face 9 (she is currently in hospital) and as with her sister, continues to improve slowly. She has also reached the expenditure cap of $15,000. Both sisters have most recently been treated with “Micro Skin” which has had created a dramatic effect and has resulted in a marked improvement to their appearances.
Nyaksiral Rasmiddin R-0254 (District 9600)
The 38 year old father who, in rescuing his daughters, received burns to his hands, arms and stomach. Plastic Surgeon Dilip Gahankari has met with Bryan Mason and the writer and confirmed his willingness to received a referral from Professor Roy Kimble and has volunteered his services to conduct surgery to remedy parts of the father’s burn scars. We are awaiting a quotation and indication of which hospital the procedure may be carried out at.
Phuong Bui R-0225 (District 9640)
This 9 year old Vietnamese girl has completed procedures on her nose via ear, nose and throat specialist Dr Parker and no further works are required to be carried out until March 2008. Dr John Arvier has received a referral from Dr Richard Theile for orthodontal and treatment of Phuong’s upper jaw. This procedure is about to be completed by orthodontist Dr Annu at no charge to ROMAC. with a possible cost of $1,000 only for materials required.
Phuong has now moved to Brisbane from her host family on the Gold Coast, however “ownership” of the patient will remain with District 9640. We anticipate her return not to be before April 2008.
Duon “Chanda” Ngor R-0227 (District 96000
This 8 year old Cambodian girl and her mother arrived along with Dr. Someth Hong on the 4th August and was operated on by Dr. John Arvier for a benign tumour on her right mandibular. She was sponsored by Brisbane Hi- Rise and the Gympie – Cooloola club sponsored the costs of travel and visa/passport of Dr. Hong.
The family was hosted by Pastor Morn Kim and his family.
The operation was a success and Chanda returned home on the 29th August.
Transit Patients
The Northern Region continues to receive entering and exiting patients via Darwin and Brisbane at a consistent rate and we continue to be confronted with excess baggage problems brought about by strict luggage limits for international travel, particularly to Nauru and East Timor.
2. Incoming Patients
Jibon Babu R-0176 (District 9630) – 9 year old Bangladeshi boy with a benign tumour of the jaw to be sponsored by Brisbane High Rise and hosted by Bangladeshi family in Brisbane, organised by Surgeon Dr John Arvier. We continue to be uncertain as to the arrival of this patient due to internal problems in Bangladesh. John Arvier continues to have close contact. We hope for arrival within the next couple of months.
Navin Keefe Domingo R-0130 (District 9630) – This nearly 5 year old Philippines boy referred to us by Interplast has been accepted by Dr Richard Theile and the Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane. Dr Marianne Vonau has also added her willingness to assist with the treatment of this patient. We anticipate arrival in November 2007.
Two pending patients:
Giang Le Nhat R-0242 (Vietnam) – previously treated for burns in 2006 is expected for further treatment with Dr Deborah Bailey soon.
Ujin Munkh – Iigelt R-0290 (Mongolia) – 12 month old female child with a need for correction of her right hip was referred by Soroptimist International and despite having orthopaedic surgeon Dr Geoff Donald prepared to conduct surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital at no expenses to ROMAC, Tibetan Monks in Mongolia have advised the parents that a better treatment is to bury the child in sand in China, so this case not to proceed.
3. Fundraising Results
Combined contributions Northern
Northern Region completed the Rotary year with $203,631. This was a $50,270 (33%) improvement over last year
Whilst there has been one bigger year previously, that incorporated the benefit of $130,000 from the Centenary house project at Bundaberg 2 years ago, excluding that year, Northern Region has had a massive result, with all districts surpassing their prior year.
The Northern Region had a goal of $50,000 per District and Districts 9600 and 9640 surpassed these totals with $54,815 and $65,699 respectively.
4. Proposed Fundraising
We have an increasing “book” of fundraisers proposed for this Rotary year but we look forward to increased imagination for the satisfaction of our $ goals for this year.
5. Northern Region Organisation
All positions have been established for the next Rotary year as previously advised, however since that time we have accepted the resignation of John Postlethwaite (who has been forced to retire due to hip surgery pending) as Treasurer and in his place District 9600 member Kerri Nixon is to fulfil that role.
6. District Conferences 2008
We have staked a claim for a presence at every conference throughout the Northern Region next year. District 9550 District Governor Nominee 2009-10 is to be our highly enthusiastic ROMAC Townsville Representative Brendan Porter who promises consistent and continual ROMAC exposure during his year.
Once again the Northern Region can report good exposure in the press and on television.
Channel 10 had a 1 minute 45 second item on Monday 20th August. The coverage featured the Rasmiddin sisters and Professor Roy Kimble from the Royal Children’s Hospital and Duon Ngor and Dr. John Arvier from the Wesley Hospital.
Then there was a feature on Duon Ngor in the Westside News on Wednesday 18th August.
Another story in The Courier Mail with photo of “Chanda” Ngor appeared on Wednesday 29th August.
David Bonifant
Northern Region Director