A visiting Paediatric cardiology team from Australia has successfully completed community screening for rheumatic heart disease in Nguvia Community School, Ngalibiu Community School, St. Mary Tanagai Community School, Visale Community School.
In the final two days of their visit, the team also conducted cardiac reviews of patients at the National Referral hospital (NRH).
The delegation comprised paediatric cardiologists from the two Australian hospitals: Dr. Gavin Wheaton (Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide) and Dr. Benjamin Reeves (Cairns Hospital, Queensland), and cardiac sonographer Ms. Sheena Foskett (Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service, Queensland).
They collaborated closely with local counterparts at NRH to strengthen screening processes and enhance paediatric care practices.
This visit marks another milestone in Australia’s enduring commitment to supporting health systems and strengthening and fostering collaborative partnerships across the Pacific.
“This visit reinforces Australia, and the Solomon Islands shared commitment to improving patient care and public health outcomes in the Solomon Islands,” said Dr. Gavin Wheaton.
“We are proud to continue building on the strong foundation of collaboration with NRH and national stakeholders and we look forward to sharing the screening results with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and NRH clinicians and addressing the issues together in partnership”.
The mission focused on providing support to the NRH Paediatric Staff in conducting community screening to identify children with RHD, while also providing mentorship and technical assistance to enhance local capacity.
The visiting team expressed enthusiasm for future collaboration and partnership.
This week-long engagement stands as a testament to their dedication to improving paediatric cardiac care for children in the Solomon Islands.
The team also extended their gratitude to their respective supervisors for their trust and support, despite each member representing different hospitals and states across Australia.
Sincere appreciation was also conveyed to the Pacific Rheumatic Heart Disease Program for funding the initiative, made possible through the support of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
This initiative introduces a new mechanism to foster and expand Pacific health leadership.
– MHMS
Lead photo caption: Fifth from left are Dr. Gavin Wheaton, Ms. Sheena Foskett and Dr. Benjamin Reeves with the NRH Paediatric Doctors and Nurses.
