Endoscopy Training in Honiara

Mark Norrie BHB, MBChB, FRACP, PhD

During the first week of March this year, another successful visit was achieved by a team of two doctors and nurses to Honiara in The Solomon Islands as part of the ANZGITA (Australian and New Zealand Gastroenterology International Training Association).

ANZGITA arose nearly 20 years ago from the perceived need to train Doctors in endoscopy in the Pacific in their own countries rather than their travelling to Australia or New Zealand. The program was initially started in Fiji by Professor Finlay Macrae from The University of Melbourne and Professor Rob Moulds from The Fiji School of Medicine but now involves sites in Samoa, The Solomon Islands, Tonga, East Timor and Kiribati. Fin remains the Chair of ANZGITA. It very quickly became apparent that the ongoing functioning and standards of endoscopy units could not be achieved without the indispensable input of endoscopy nurses and very quickly thereafter, Australasian nurses became part of the visiting teams.

The Solomon Islands project was initiated about 15 years ago by Dr Eileen Natuzzi, an American Surgeon with the assistance of US doctors but for logistical reasons such as distance of travel, The Solomon Islands became an ANZGITA site with the baton passed on to Australasian doctors and nurses.

Our visits are not about service input but rather capacity building where we pass on skills in endoscopy such that the units around the Pacific may operate independently. Visits are of a duration of 1 to 2 weeks and occur biannually.

We also assist by the donation of equipment and servicing of equipment such as the endoscopes. We rely on the donation of time from our Doctors and Nurses, outside their busy schedules, to perform these visits as well as the generous donation of equipment from industry.

This was my 10th visit to Honiara and the visit included gastroscopy training for the Medical and Surgical Registrars as well as upskilling in Colonoscopy for the Local Physicians and Surgeons. The Nurses were involved in performing an inventory of equipment and training the nurses in the room as well as reviewing standards such as scope cleaning. Recent visits have involved new skills training such as balloon dilatation for achalasia and oesophageal stent placement. The disease burden is somewhat different from Australia and New Zealand with high rates of upper GI malignancies, left sided colon cancers, liver disease secondary to Hepatitis B or even iron deficiency anaemia secondary to Hookworms!

I have been privileged to witness the progressive improvement in endoscopy skills amongst the local Doctors in Honiara and visiting teams will attest to the fact that learning is a two way process and that we improve our teaching skills and learn from the local doctors who operate with a different culture, conditions and disease burden from those that we find at home.

ANZGITA welcomes both Doctors and Endoscopy nurses from Australia and New Zealand who may be interested in our programs and you may find more information on our website AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND GASTROENTEROLOGY INTERNATIONAL TRAINING ASSOCIATION - ANZGITA