Peter Lee spoke to the club about the work of ROMAC “Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children”

 

Children up to the age of 15 years with health problems from various countries like Vietnam, Vanuatu, Fiji and Solomon Islands etc. can be treated.  The usual treatments are for facial disfigurement, and Cardiac problems. There are no hospitals, no facilities and no doctors to carry out the sort of operation that is carried out here in Australia When they arrive in Victoria there are only two hospitals Royal Children’s Hospital and Monash Medical Centre.  These two are used because they have Paediatric Intensive Care Units for the aftercare.

 

 They have Host families, usually close to the hospital and they are kept very busy taking patient and parent to all the visits to meet with surgeon, hospital etc.

The costs are enormous, but many of the surgeons are offered payment but do not accept.  They find many of these operations a learning field.  There are very special rates for beds, medication etc. but the cost of getting patient & parent here and other costs are huge.  That’s why the Rotary Club of Numurkah donation is so important and it goes directly to Romac.  34 children were treated last year.

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