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Australian Surgeon Team Visits FSM

POHNPEI, Palikir (FSM Information Service): November 2000 - A visiting Otolaryngology team from the Australian College of Surgeons is scheduled for Yap and Pohnpei, to provide specialized health care services in areas of ear, nose, and throat.

The Otolaryngology team is part of the goodwill projects sponsored by AUSAID geared toward tertiary health care services for FSM citizens. Headed by Dr. Elizabeth Rose, the surgeons Otolaryngology team includes, Dr. Peter Carter, Dr. Matthew Crawford, and Mrs. Judith Meehan.

The medical team is scheduled to be in Yap today, November 29, 2000, at the State Hospital to afford their services free of charge to the Yap community.

The medical team departs on Sunday, December 03, 2000, for Pohnpei State to continue with their scheduled. Beginning Monday, the Otolaryngology team will again offer their specialized services through the Pohnpei State Hospital (PSH) assisted by Dr. Aminis David and Dr. Winston Likiaksa. AUSAID have on an ongoing basis, availed these specialized services free of charge to the four States.

The team, as explained by Dr. Likiaksa, "have on previous visits provided, along with their technologically advanced medical equipments, immeasurable medical services at no cost to the States. Services which otherwise, would have demanded massive sums of financial compensation from the state Governments, we are very grateful for this gesture of goodwill by AUSAID."

In addition to the tremendous medical benefits by the community, Dr. Likiaksa said the Otolaryngology team visits provide another avenue of capacity building for the medical community of Pohnpei as well as the other States.

State Pohnpei State is the final leg of the Otolaryngology team’s goodwill trip to the FSM, the team returns to Australia on December 08, 2000.

For further information or details, please contact Pohnpei State Hospital.