Part of the objective of each HSV is to help with continuing medical education for the local doctors and nurses to in turn improve health outcomes for patients in The Cook Islands. Through PSRH, Mairi has been involved all over the Pacific, with running workshops to teach midwives and doctors how to prevent and manage birth injuries. Shelley and Mairi, with the help of local Gynaecologist, Dr May Aung, ran the first Perineal Tear workshop in Rarotonga in 2018. We have since managed to run two similar workshops, this time helped by Mrs Tohoa Cummings, nurse and midwife and Dr Hannah Cummings, medical officer.
On other occasions we have either presented cases at the weekly hospital Grand Round and Mairi has presented a paper on Conservative Management of Urinary Incontinence in Women at the Pacific Medical Association conference, when it was hosted in Rarotonga.
On a less formal basis, as we work, we teach. Shelley and Tina have been actively involved in teaching the clinic nurses on how to insert and manage vaginal ring pessaries for the management of pelvic organ prolapse. Shelley has spent time with the local physiotherapists educating them on physiotherapy for the pelvic floor. Mairi and Dr Kevin Bassilli, local Gynaecologist, discuss cases and operate together. In this way we learn from each other and foster a collegial relationship.
The person most actively involved with teaching has been our anaesthetist, Michael Kalkoff, who has been instrumental in not only mentoring the local young anaesthetist but also in enabling him to train in New Zealand.
Putiputi Charitable Trust 