project update 2

- wednesday: olgeta blong hospital oli mekem pap smear for checkem cervical cancer lo 40-50 mamas
-thursday: Had community presentation, very interesting findings, the community were very interested, and wanted to know more about our findings
-friday: Had our action plan , where we prioritized the issues of thursday and made an action plan for each
saturday: all participants came back.

FNU (FSM) Graduation 2010.

Congratulations to the Vanuatu medical students at Fiji School of Medicine, who finally ended the year with their graduation on the 3rd December 2010, and receiving their certificate. Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Dr. Tony Harry and Dr. Trevor Cullwick. Bachelor in Medicine and Bachelor in surgery: Dr. Walesi Natuman and Dr. Rodrick Mere, Postgraduate Diploma in Eye care: Mr. Edwin Amel and Mrs. Monique Tahi. Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive health Management: Mr. Jivi Hoe, Mrs. Marie-Michelle Tsiabon and Mr. Pierre paul Irimel. Including the graduates on Certificate in Community Disability and Rehabilitations: Mr. Knox Morris, Mrs. Marinette Twomey and Mr. Pallen Philip. congratulations again and all the best in your future endeavors.

Eton Village Project update.

Monday 23rd-Thursday 27th November.....Did House to House questionnaires, and covered majority of houses in Eton village

- Been having health talks started tuesday-friday....very interesting:
-sik blo mosquito: filiarisis, malaria, dengue fever
-Dental Hygiene
-First Aid
-Diabetes
-Anemia
-High Blood Pressure
-Cervical cancer and breast cancer
today (monday): talk about s.t.i & mental health

-good attendance so far....community really interested to learn about health issues.

FRIDAY, SATURDAY: We did screening at Eton Village, found some undiagnosed cases of high blood pressure, diabetes, eye problems and heart problems..very rewarding.

today monday is the last day of screening and everyone is happy so far, and looking foward to the analysis and presentation on wednesday.

COMMUNITY MEMBERS have been supportive, and we have eaten a lot of aelen kakai...tuff gogo

made a lot of good friends wetem ol man eton....oh yeah..rubbish clean up day starts on wednesday...and same day is pap smear check up of women..
we will come back on friday this week.

VMSA Perfomance (culture nite 2010).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DpiijSgvcs

Follow the link to view the performance that was choreographed by the talented Vanuatu students.

Profiler of the Week.

Name: Pallen. Abraham. Philip
Age: 22
D.O.B: 19/07/1988
Sex: Male.
Island: Malekula (Vanuatu)
Course: Certificate in Community Disability and Rehabilitation.(CCDR 1)
Career: Community Rehab Assistance (CRA).
Future: Occupational Therapist/ Physio Therapist.

Been to school and always wanting to serve my people, the life has been like a stranger to me. attended the a few primary schools(could not settle in only one) since we traveled mostly during my child-wood. Finally attended junior high at the Ranwadi College (Pentecost, Vanuatu), four years there really proves that i am ready to move on. spend another two years of college at the Matevulu College (Santo, Vanuatu), unfortunately could not make it to form seven. continued the foundations level at the University of the South Pacific. That was not the end, I applied for a job at the Young Peoples project and took the job as an advocator for young peoples issues in different community. I realize my main interest is to provide help within different community, My ability to community stuffs develops so fast as if I was born with skills, it took alot of courage and skills to show the community you a right for the jobs. So i continued for 3 months and so decided to apply for another job still on my interest, i joined a team of young Ni-Vans and Australian under the youth challenge Vanuatu, send in to the community ready for community works, there i develop more skill, the project lasted for a period of 3 months. we head home and so i applied for another job at the world vision Vanuatu and was part of an educational project for people in the community, from there i lasted for a long time and thinking this is final, but not, my interest develops more and more and so i was lucky to be offered a scholarship at the Fiji school of medicine for the Community Rehabilitation and Disability, now i get to work in the community not only looking at the people, youths and their situations, but now qualified to focus to on disable people and health in the community. this has spotted that when we dream our dream can be small but can reach deeper in to different fields of life, looking forward to finding another adventure after my graduation this year 2010.

Eton Village Project 2010.

The Vanuatu Medical students of the Fiji School of Medicine a in preparation for a village project, which will be focus on the Eton village of the Efate island. The project should be held for a period 2 weeks and will look mainly on the Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the community, there will be a number of activities done to make sure the accurate result is being measured. More details to be updated.

Farewell 2010.

Last Saturday October the 16^th was the Fiji Vanuatu-Medical-Students Association (VMSA) farewell function. It was a time for us to firstly, celebrate the association’s achievements for this year and secondly to wish the leaving students the best in their career.

This year’s functions and activities all turned out to be great success. With the association having only 30 members, the executive body had managed to fully carry out its responsibilities. The executive body was headed this year by the President Ricky Boe Mera (MBBS-5) and by great means was able to balance VMSA matters and his school work. The Vice President, Nilani Tari (MBBS-2), summarized the activities for this year at the formal hour of the farewell function. To recollect, the activities she mentioned were one fundraising, 2 get-together (Easter and semester break), and several of meetings.  Also the cultural night, which was an awesome night of ‘stage-ironing’; we had the opportunity to show case a warrior dance from Futuna and combining it with the Tanna dance. And we gave the audience a superb performance of a cross-cultural item comprising typical Caldonie, Hip Hop and Zouk, (several of the crowd ‘chippin’ off their chairs). Everyone (boys and girls) gave their time and dedication for practice and that lead to the good performance.

The association was enlightened on the news of the newly elected President of the Fiji School of Medicine Students Association, Sale Vurobaravu. Congratulations to him again on his second reign, and the association as a whole honored to have one of its members responsible for the students’ governing body. We were looking forward to our exams and holidays but thanks to you Mr. President now we look forward to next year!

The above mentioned candidate is also (the surrogate) Chairman of the Vanuatu Community Project.  This project had been the main topic of our agendas in several meetings since the ‘ice-age’ and hopefully we’ll have initiated a pilot project by the end of this year at Eton Village. Once covered, the project will be executed (by all Vanuatu medical students) yearly in different communities and to greater heights.

Anyways (come back to the function). The main guest speakers of that night were Dr. Trevor and Dr. Tony. They’ve always warned us, saying our study is our priority before alcohol and Oreilly’s night club (Hmmm). We were again fortunate to have Brother Knox stand up and give his speech. He had been a great leader throughout this year and showed a lot of support for the association and its activities. And the young tax collector of the association Albert Tokoune (an important member of the FSM CF), expresses his gratitude for Ni-Vanuatu students. Everyone was looking forward to a great night with the feast and kava.

In the final moments of the function, the continuing students (to not embrace too much on the things that have yet to come) sat back, presented gifts and (sadly) pay respect to the leaving students. We were fortunate to have about 12 leaving students: Dr. Tony (Masters in O & G), Dr. Trevor (Masters in Surgery), Walesi and Roderick our two MBBS-6. Also, three field workers in Community Disability: Abraham Pallen, Knox Morris and Marinet T. Two other nurses doing postgrad diploma in Ophthalmology whom are Eddie and Monica. And the last three Marienne, Chevy and Jean-Pierre the three nurses doing a half-semester course in Reproductive Health. We know the Ministry of Health will not overlook the exquisite skills you have acquired to make Vanuatu a better place. That was what you came here for and now achieved. As the President of the association said ‘we wish you all the best in your careers’ (wana navu!).

May God be with us all in our exams and in all that we do. Keep the faith Ni-Vans!