THE Aelan Neurosurgical team returned to the National Referral Hospital from June 17th -21st, 2024, to attend to patients with brain tumours. This is the second visit by the Sydney-based team following their inaugural visit in November last year.
The team, led by Dr Matthew Tait and Dr Narko Tutuo, comprises eleven staff members, including a surgeon, anaesthetists, an intensive care specialist, a neurophysiologist, an anaesthetic nurse, scrub nurses, and an intensive care nurse. All members volunteered their time and were supported by generous donors, with some covering their own expenses. They brought all the necessary equipment and consumables required, for the surgeries. During this visit, four cases of complex brain tumors were operated on, with each procedure taking six to seven hours.
Dr Matthew Tait, expressed the team’s commitment to providing care that is not available locally and training local staff in neurosurgery. He praised the local support that enabled the team to perform these surgeries successfully.
“The ICU team, led by Professor Ian Seppelt and ICU nurse Rachele Griffin, enabled the team to undertake riskier procedures by providing expert postoperative care in the HDU. Additionally, the presence of neuroanaesthetists was crucial for managing these high-risk neurosurgical patients. The team was also very fortunate to have two anaesthetic fellows and a local nurse donate their Group O blood when the blood bank ran out, saving the life of a three-year-old. The meticulous planning and packing of consumables by the nursing staff, including scrub and anaesthetic nurses, were crucial for the success of these operations. Without their efforts, the team’s mission would not have been as effective”, revealed Dr Tait.
Dr Narko Tutuo, a Solomon Islander working as an anaesthetist in Sydney, initiated the initial visit. He expressed the reward of returning to provide care to Solomon Islanders and reconnecting with former colleagues at the NRH.
Dr Tutuo stated, “The team is already planning for a return to NRH next year or earlier for any urgent cases that may not be able to wait.”
Head of General Surgery at NRH, Dr Rooney Jagilly, highlighted the importance of the team’s visits, noting that while brain tumors are detected with the installation and use of the CT scan machine, there is no local capacity to handle them.
“Therefore, it is very fortunate that we have a group dedicated to supporting us in neurosurgery,” said Dr Jagilly.
He added that the team’s work offers hope to patients whose lifespans would be significantly shortened without surgery.
Medical Superintendent Dr Janella Solomon applauded the specialized team’s visit, stating that the NRH is privileged to have their support in treating patients and building local capacity. General Surgeon Dr Micky Olangi worked closely with Dr Tait as the local counterpart.
The Medical Superintendent also acknowledges and thanks Pacific Crown Hotel for providing discounted accommodation and Solomon Sheet Steel for supporting the team’s catering needs.
On behalf of the Ministry of Health, the Supervising Permanent Secretary Dr Gregory Jilini commends the voluntary work the Aelan Neurosurgical Team have done during the two visits. He stated that having a neurosurgical team visiting Solomon Islands was rare. Aelan Neurosurgical Team therefore has filled a significant gap in health care services. MHMS is therefore very grateful to the visiting team.
