Gary Halliday posted on October 07, 2010 12:45
Since joining Rotary (Liverpool West Club), I had heard about the club’s involvement with the Vietnam Vision Project, a group who travelled to Vietnam and surrounding countries to perform cataract operations. I began making enquiries with members who had been on trips and commenced to get a better grasp of the operation.
Not to bore everybody with events, next thing I knew, there I was (with fellow VVP travellers) at Sydney airport at 6:00am unloading a truck with what appeared to be an endless number of boxes and containers. These had to be loaded and unloaded several times during the trip.
I was allocated to the Support Staff and apart from loading, unloading and being a general “do as you are told” person (a few people did tell me what to do, or was that, where to go!). The position of Assistant Autoclave Operator (what a title) was bestowed upon me, this gave me the opportunity of being in and around the operating theatre and I was able to observe firsthand the results of all the planning, logistics, fundraising events, organisation and camaraderie required, in some way, to improve the lives of people who otherwise would not have the resources or opportunity.
I was able to see the patients, already prepared for the operation, waiting their turn, noticing their anxiety, and maybe fear. However, once the operation was over, I could see the relief and joy in their general persona. Emotion, on the part of the patient, and at times by me, was very evident. I would have liked an opportunity to talk to some of these people (through an interpreter of course) to enable a better insight into their lives and the difference the operation make to them and their families, however, ensuring the availability of instruments did not permit this and the patients were usually gone before I had an opportunity, maybe next time.
Prior to venturing on this trip, I was told of some of the conditions under which the work was undertaken. Some of the stories may have been embellished somewhat were akin to “horror” stories. Some are now believable.
Best efforts were made to ensure the working and operating areas were as comfortable and effective as possible. However, infrastructure left a lot to be desired. Electricity was of particular concern and regular outages were experienced, imagine an operating theatre with all the equipment, people and patients with ambient temperatures in the high 30’s and at times well into the 40’s with very high humidity, and “bang” there goes the electricity and with it the air conditioning and all other power reliant equipment. I thought I had it bad hovering over hot autoclaves, at times like this I felt for the doctors, nurses and all the theatre staff.
With all the problems encountered together with the operating and working conditions, I was most impressed with the way everybody continued to do their “job”, even though complaints were evident (human nature I suppose) everybody just went about doing what they had to do. To tell you the truth, we all had to. Patients were waiting and we were there for a limited time.
The trip was a lifetime experience for me and I was on a high for some time after returning. Even now, I look forward to regular meetings with the people I met, worked with and befriended and if anybody has encountered what they consider to be life changing events, I consider this to be one of mine.
After all is said and done, no matter how trying the conditions or how much work had to done, everybody chipped in and “just did it”. Where extra assistance was required, there it was. These people, all volunteers, should be considered as modern day heroes.
There were numerous highlights on the trip for me (they may appear in a book if I get around to it); these are some of the most memorable:
• Working with wonderful and dedicated people.
• Having the opportunity to watch a cataract operation and have the process explained.
• Experiencing reactions of patients and their families.
• A visit to an orphanage in rural Vietnam.
Ted Mlynarz - Secretary