Doing Israel’s humanitarian work
A team of Australian doctors has visited Fiji to consult and operate on members of the Fijian community in need of ENT assistance including a two-yr-old girl who had extreme difficulty in breathing.
Specialists belonging to the Australasian Jewish Medical Federation identified more than cases in need of Ear, Nose and Throat surgery.
The visit was arranged by the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem working through the Israeli embassy in Canberra and the new Israeli-based ambassador to Fiji.
Melbourne ENT specialist Michael Gordon told J-Wire: “This is the third mission we have conducted under the auspices of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The two-year-girl has been incubated from birth and her airway had always been obstructed. She has been unable to speak at all. We operated on her and are hopeful she will be OK within a month.”
Israel’s Roving Ambassador to the Pacific, Jerusalem-based Tibor Shalev Schlosser said “It is through projects like these where the worldwide Jewish community and Israel can collaborate together towards tikkun olam; projects where those who are able may use their skills and resources in aid of those less fortunate.”
The Australian team which performed the surgeries included two Jewish ENT surgeons and a Jewish anaesthetist supported by a religious Christian scrub nurse.