Namotu Island Medical Outreach 2024

Hi, my name is Leena! I'm a doctor from Byron Bay, Australia and I volunteer my medical (& yoga teaching) services at Namotu Island.

Unusual circumstances unfold, lending themselves to new opportunities for growth & exploration. The medical outreach that I’m running with Namotu Island is no happy accident.

I had eased into my second week of work at Namotu in 2022 when an emergency was called in the kitchen. Someone had collapsed, badly re-injuring their fractured collarbone and required an urgent transfer to hospital on the mainland.

After spending the day addressing the issue at hand, we realised that it was too late in the evening to cross the reef safely. I was instead, warmly welcomed into the home of a local Fijian staff member who resided in the village of Nabila.

My experience & overnight stay was an eye opener to the multitude of barriers that these people face in accessing the necessary healthcare that we have so often taken for granted.

In Nabila, there is no doctor. An American charity donates some basic medications which are then distributed by a local nurse. People put up with their health conditions, unless a medical emergency dictates their need to be seen in a hospital some 2 hours away. If they have a sore tooth, they have to spend $25FJD (half a day’s wages!) to see a dentist for it to be pulled out. The frameworks of primary & secondary prevention are virtually non-existent.

And thus birthed an idea to create a medical outreach, at the earnest request of their community.

Our first pilot (3 doctors, 1 nurse, 1 helper) successfully ran on 23-30 April 2023.

This year, we are bringing 18 volunteers to help out on the outreach from 5-12 May 2024!

It’s all systems go currently, and we would be so grateful if you would be able to donate any amount of money to help us raise funds for the medical supplies that we are bringing across from Australia.

100% of the proceeds will be going towards medical supplies for Nabila and perhaps in time, other nearby Fijian villages. Any excess funds from this year will be used to support next year's outreach.

If you would like to donate supplies or be involved in future outreaches, please send me a private message on IG @loveleena.au

Vinaka vaka levu ❤️