Caption: Signing of Mou L-R Swami Tadananda& Projects Abroad Coordinator Sophie Birtwistle. Photo:SUPPLIED
By TAGIMEUCIA KOROIVUKI
The Sarada Medical Centre, Viseisei Sai Health and the Diagnostic Specialists Medical Centre in the West signed Memorandum of Understanding documents with Projects Abroad Fiji to empower proactive health programs in Fiji.
Projects Abroad encourages young people from all over the world to volunteer for worthwhile work in developing countries and it expects that doing this kind of voluntary work will, in time, become the norm.
Executive Director of principle health NGO partner, Action for Children and the Aged Trust Fiji and Projects Abroad Fiji Medical & Health consultant, Rosan Lal said that it is imperative to get as many hands as possible, on board to fight the Non-Communicable Disease crisis faced by Fiji as Government resources are chewed up by the NCD disease burden.
Early deaths and disabilities due to non-communicable diseases are the biggest health concern in Fiji.
Quoting statistics from the Ministry of Health, that around 11 people die daily due to NCD related complications like heart disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular injuries. Two thirds of all deaths in Fiji are NCD related and 82% of all NCD related deaths are at an early age.
“The social and economic burdens due to non-communicable diseases are huge and continue to rise, with no major signs of improvement in health attitudes and behaviors amongst the general populace,” said Rosan.
Apart from providing a pool of professional volunteers, The Projects Abroad volunteers will also be involved in conducting health attitude and behavior survey for public and private healthcare providers at their workplace, analyze and present outcomes to help improve the concept of wellness in Fiji.
The Projects Abroad team will also be conducting a holistic village health empowerment programs to address the gap in nutritional knowledge, start off low-maintenance superfood backyard gardens for individual families, encourage villagers to be physically active and foster a positive built environment in the village.
Rama Krishna Mission Secretary, Swami Tadananda said that the Sarada Medical Centre is thankful for the partnership which will allow them valuable human resources.
“The Medical Centre, to date, has seen over 10,000 patients and it provides medical service to the remote populations and the poorer communities in the West,” said Swamji