Posted by Ainsley on 17/12/2020 at 5:07 PM
Mr& Mrs John and Judy Berends
- Long term supporters have made a significant contributions to Interplast, largely through the Rotary Club of Seaford-Carrum Downs.
- Have organised district wide fundraising events for Interplast and have also personally donated.
- Have participated as observers on programs. John and Judy both went to Labasa, Fiji in 2006, and Judy to Tonga in 2012.
Mr Simon Donahoe
- Surgeon
- First volunteered in 2004, has been on 23 programs to Fiji, Samoa, and regularly to PNG
- Country Coordinator for PNG until his resignation in 2018
- Presented for Interplast at various Rotary events
- Regular faculty for the Pacific Island reconstructive surgical workshops held in Hobart and Suva.
- Played a huge leadership role in supporting plastic surgery training in PNG including long term support and mentoring of PNG trainees, both in Australia and in PNG.
- Led the development of PNG’s first plastic surgery curriculum.
Associate Professor Peter Haertsch AM
- First trip in 1987 to Goroka, Papua New Guinea
- Completed 47 programs to 13 countries with Interplast- some years Peter participated in two or three programs a year
- Participated in programs at short notice
- Regularly participates in surgical programs to Philippines, as well as capacity building programs, largely around burns development.
- Has fundrasied for Interplast and spoken at Rotary events and conferences
- Peter encouraged Turia Pitt to become involved with Interplast. He was also involved in the 60 Minutes TV special with Turia and Interplast.
Mrs Deirdre McGlynn
- Nurse, first volunteered in 1990 to Solomon Islands
- Has participated in 29 programs to countries including Vanuatu, Kiribati, Samoa, Philippines and Myanmar.
- Participated in needs assessments /support programs to Philippines and Myanmar
- In Cagayan de Oro, she established relationships with University Nursing Faculties. Taught local nurses and students theatre sterile processes and mentored the nurse educators that accompanied them.
- Financially supported getting patients & their families to CDO and helping with the costs of their stay for treatment via Rotary.
Ms Kay Suter
- Nurse, first volunteered in 2005, has been on 11 programs to countries including Vanuatu, Fiji and more regularly to PNG
- Has participated in programs on short notice
- Long term commitment to developing nurse capacity in PNG, in particular Mt Hagen and Madang
- Significant effort put into teaching & educational resources in PNG, particularly in the areas of sterilisation, infection control and hand hygiene.
- Provided significant support in setting up infection prevention control policies and practices in Madang.
- Retired as a volunteer at the end of 2018
- Help to raise awareness in her hometown in Tasmania.
Dr Shankar Rai – Nepal
- Director of Kirtipur Hospital in Nepal
- Championed the development of plastic and reconstructive surgery in Nepal and across the region, in particular microsurgery
- Has been the backbone of Interplast activities in Nepal since they commenced in 2006 and continues to support the development of the program
- Established the first Hand and Microsurgery Fellowship training in Nepal (prior to this, Nepali surgeons has to train overseas)
- Has been a pioneer and champion for burns care in Nepal, both in service delivery, advocacy, resources and training
- Established the burns unit at Model Hospital and the Nepal Cleft and Burns Centre (Kirtipur Hospital)
- Worked with Interplast following the 2015 earthquakes in Kathmandu to provide local post-disaster surgical support.
Professor Moe Thuzar – Myanmar
- Head of Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery at Yangon General Hospital
- Has been involved with Interplast programs since they commenced in Myanmar in 2000 (as senior practising plastic surgeon), and in a significant leadership role since 2013, when they resumed after a brief hiatus, as, at that time, she had become Head of Unit
- Has been a champion for Interplast programs, and for establishing both a Masters and Doctorate of Plastic Surgery in Myanmar
- Has championed the status of women in surgery in Myanmar, and has built a plastic surgical cohort which includes a number of women, in both junior and leadership positions
- Lead the transition of Interplast programs in Myanmar from a primarily service-provision program to one which focuses on training and mentoring- including expanding the surgical training to include nurses and anaesthetists.
- Plays a key role liaising between Interplast and Yangon General Hospital, Ministry of Health and University of Medicine 1, Yangon.
