Children affected by orthopaedic conditions may soon find relief via a visiting medical team from Shriners Hospital for Children in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The team is holding clinics in Fiji, diagnosing children who may qualify for orthopaedic care at the Honolulu hospital. The necessary care would be provided to the children regardless of the patients' family's ability to pay.
The orthopaedic conditions include birth defects of hips, arms and legs; deformities of the spine; serious complications from bone infections of the arms or legs; sports injuries; cerebal palsy; some burn scars and complicated fracture problems.
According to a statement released by hospital representatives, the orthopaedic surgeons in the team include the chief of staff of the Honolulu hospital, Dr Arabella Leet. Also on his 11th trip to Fiji is Dr Robert Nemechek for this program and Dr Eric Tan, an orthopaedic resident with the John Hopkins Orthopaedic Residency Program.
The team will be at Lautoka Hospital from March 5 to 7; Labasa Hospital on March 11, and the CWM Hospital from March 12 to 14.
The children present at the clinics need to be under the age of 18 and have a treatable orthopaedic condition.