Making a Difference

A little girl who lives in Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea, was born with a cleft lip and palate making it very difficult for her to feed properly.  Without proper nutrition in her formative years, Patma is unable to put on weight and thrive.5

 

 While Patma was considered too small for surgery on this visit, the Interplast team was able to teach her mother how to feed her with a specific bottle and technique.  Hesitant at the new feeding technique at first, Patma’s mother was taught by volunteer nurse Hayley Benbow the correct way to feed Patma so that she will be a good candidate for surgery when the team returns.

 Whilst COVID-19 is sweeping the world Interplast wishes that you, your families and your club stay safe in these trying times.  Children like Patma will need Interplast’s & Rotary’s help more than ever once COVID-19 has disappeared from her community.  Through Rotary you can have a long lasting impact on these children’s lives and their communities.

 Interplast’s activities during COVID-19 are continuing by the staff and volunteers working tirelessly to develop an online platform that allows partner hospitals and medical personnel across the Asia Pacific region to connect during this period of great need.  Interplast will be launching a digital service that:

· Allows medical professionals in developing countries to view essential training videos and resources on demand

· Facilitates virtual conversations and case-planning between Interplast’s volunteers and its partners

· Provides a secure forum for sharing of ideas, medical responses, mentoring and case-consultations.

The impact of COVID-19 is significant especially amongst health services within developing nations.

“Many thanks to the District 9810 Interplast Committee & Clubs for their incredible support over the last three years.  My term has come to an end, and Peter Lewis will be the new Interplast Chair.  Please give him and Interplast your support”, PP Liz Guiver, District Interplast Chair, 2017 – 2020.

Taken from District 9810 Staying Connected, edition