Every patient was discharged on Monday 5 October, when Dr John van Dalen did his final ward round before flying home to New Zealand. One patient needed a dressing change.
John said the pilot visit was a real success. The team reached its goal of ten joint replacements and completed the outstanding orthopaedic trauma cases, and the local surgical and ward staff worked very well with the visiting team. He said the surgery done during the visit would be worth more than NZ$500,000 if it had been done in New Zealand.
The patients were very grateful. "It was a privilege, and amazing to witness," John said.
What happens next
Dr Tungefasi will review all the patients about ten days after their surgery. On 13 November, six weeks after surgery, John will hold a virtual clinic to check on everyone operated on during the week. A week later, on 20 November, a second virtual clinic will assess patients for the next joint replacement visits, proposed for July and hopefully September 2027.
This week John is holding debriefs with the surgical team and with the Rapid Relief Team, the visit's funder, to set dates for next year's visits and look at other projects to improve the operating theatres.
Thank you
John thanked the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which made a significant contribution to upgrading the theatres and the sterile services department, and the Ministry of Health, which partnered with Rotary to complete those upgrades. He also thanked the donors of the trauma equipment, and the Rapid Relief Team for its significant funding of the pilot joint replacement visit.
He praised the visiting team, Dr Geoff Spenser, Lynette Sweetman, Lydia Sargent, Steve Flaunty and Dr Tom Sharp, for an amazing job and for all the planning and time they put in beforehand, and the Vaiola Hospital staff, including the medical, nursing and ward staff, the biomedical department and the anaesthetic department.
"Without their support, this whole visit would not have been possible," he said.
Finally, John thanked the patients, who he said really deserved this life-changing surgery.
Help fund the next 25
Rotary Club of Whanganui North has set up a Givealittle page to fund 25 more joint replacements in 2027. Each replacement costs about NZ$8,000, around a quarter of the private price in New Zealand. The goal is NZ$200,000.
Donate on Givealittle (opens in a new tab)
Read the previous update: day seven.