Funded by District 9920, an Interplast team departed on 15 May and concluded on 23 May 2019.  The team comprised two surgeons, two anaesthetists, two nurses and one physiotherapist.  A total of sixty-four patients were examined and forty-one subsequently underwent surgery.
 
 
The average age of the patients was between 19 and 45 years old with a smaller number between 1 and 5 years old.  The main types of surgery were cleft lip and palate, burns, skin lesions and soft tissue deformities.  The program ran parallel to an allied health mentoring program which complemented the surgical programme.  The team also worked closely alongside local general surgeon Dr Alamea Fulivai.
 
Sincere thanks to the Harold Thomas Rotary Trust, Auckland Harbourside, Newmarket, Howick, Highbrook, Papatoetoe Central, Taravao Tahiti-Iti, Rarotonga, Drury, St Johns, Papakura, Otahuhu, Ellerslie Sunrise, Auckland South and Savusavu for their generous contributions.  Without your support this programme would not have been possible.
 
In the 2019-20 Rotary year we will participate in another programme and we kindly ask that you consider supporting Interplast as one of Rotary’s long-standing successful partnerships across Australia and New Zealand.  Interplast’s vision is embedded in Rotary’s areas of focus and therefore is an alliance most worthy of your club’s support.

Interplast Australia & New Zealand has been part of Rotary in both countries since its inception in 1983.  For thirty-five years and counting, the work of Interplast’s professional volunteers has resulted in over 25,000 life changing plastic and reconstructive surgeries being performed.  This is in addition to the training of countless medical staff in seventeen countries across the Asia-Pacific region.

Rotary continues to be vital in both governance and advocacy

 
Birth defects, burns injuries, trauma injuries are all treated by Interplast’s volunteer teams.  The ‘twin track’ approach of delivering surgical services while providing training and mentoring programmes contributes to the strengthening of the capacity building of our neighbouring countries health systems.