Health and medical news from Tristan da Cunha and its Camogli Hospital for the years 2006 to 2010
New Doctor in Post
Dr Tony Miles arrived aboard MV Baltic Trader on 2nd October 2010 to replace Director of Medical Services Dr Cornelius Bouwer in charge of Camogli Hospital.

New Director of Medical Services
The new Director of Medical Services is Dr Shridar who arrived in July 2010 with his wife and two children to take up the new enlarged post which will include broader responsibility for hospital and nurse management and public health work.

All change at Camogli Hospital
Temporary doctor Derek Topliss arrived for a second stint on 3rd March 2010 and the long-serving Medical Officer Carel Van der Merwe left with his wife Ingrid aboard MV Edinburgh on 24th March. Dr Topliss will remain in charge until the arrival of the first doctor to occupy the new post of Director of Medical Services (see advert link below), hopefully in June.


Farewell to Nurse Nicola

Dawn Repetto reports that a lunch was held on Tuesday 20th April 2010 in the new Coffee Shop organised by visiting nurse Nicola McHugh as a goodbye to the nursing staff.

This gave the island an ideal opportunity to test the new facility, situated in the new Post Office and Tourism Centre, for a function of this nature.



Photographs from Dawn show those present, including all nurses,
Doctor Derek Topliss
and Father Chris Brown. 

The event was a hugh success
and Dawn hopes this event will be the
first of many at the stunning new venue.

Tristan da Cunha Director of Medical Services Recruitment
Nico is undertaking the recruitment of a new Tristan da Cunha doctor from 2010 - see the full advert on our Jobs Page.

Camogli Hospital Staff Changes
Dr Carel and Ingrid van der Merwe left Tristan aboard the Agulhas in October 2009, and will return later in the year. New locum is Dr Derek Topliss, who previously worked on St Helena for 8 years. The Tristan Government is currently advertising for a new Director of Medical Services.

 

Photos
from Bob Carse

 

made
during his
9th Tristan visit
as part
of the annual Dental Team

The Dental team with Bob carse (left)
Dr Carel Van der Merwe (centre)
and Tristan nurse Teresa Green (right)

Camogli Hospital Staff
with new doctor Derek Topliss

Tristan's New Pharmacy Unveiled


Tristan da Cunha's new
Pharmacy
situated in Camogli Hospital
was opened in July 2008

Pharmacy Assistant
Vera Glass attends to stocks

Views of the bright new
Pharmacy

Doctors change over and new dish added to Tristan Recipe Book
Medical Officer Dr Carel Van der Merwe returns from his leave to take charge of Camogli Hospital aboard RFA Lyme Bay on 28th February 2008. Outgoing locum Doctor Dr Laszlo Szabo departed aboard cruise ship MV Corinthian II on Saturday 15th March. Dr managed to get aboard and is now en route to the UK where he will take up his next post in Scotland.
On his last day, Laszlo made Chief Islander Conrad Glass and Administrator David Morley a farewell pizza. The recipe has been added to the Tristan cookbook and will be known as Pizza del Laszlo!
Tristan da Cunha approaches its Summer Solstice in good health
Speaking on 20th December Administrator David Morley confirms that
"the flu virus, and its asthmatic side effects, are now well on the ebb. All hospital patients (including those there for other reasons) have been discharged. All public health measures referred to in my Public Notice have been suspended and the community is getting on with its traditional Break Up tasks."
See below for further details of a flu outbreak which Tristan took in its stride, but which brought the community into unwanted international media attention...
Drug Supply arrives aboard RFA Gold Rover Amended Report published 19th December 2007

Up to 50 islanders have been suffering from a flu virus in recent weeks, with asthma sufferers particularly affected. As a result of a concern that stocks of drugs were low, a supply was airlifted to Ascension Island and the RFA Gold Rover departed on 12th December, arriving with the supplies at Tristan da Cunha on Sunday 16th December. (See also Shipping News and Tristan in Parliament)

Speaking earlier Administrator David Morley confirmed that ~
'there has been no emergency, and it does appear that the virus is on the ebb.  But we are not prepared to take the slightest risk with anyone's life.  That's why I took the measures listed in the Public Notice and that's why we've arranged the re supply.'

Images of Gold Rover's arrival
with its crucial cargo of drugs
on Sunday 16th December 2007
from Claire Volkwyn & David Morley

Right ~
The Police RIB leaving Calshot Harbour
Left ~
RFA Gold Rover

 

 

 

Left ~
Lowering the drugs
in a cargo net

Right ~
Chief Islander Conrad Glass,
Jack Green and Leon Glass
unloading the cases from the RIB
to the harbourside

     


Left ~
The cases safely ashore
on the quayside at
Calshot Harbour

Right ~
Left ~ The Doctor's House
Right ~ Camogli Hospital

Friday December 7th 2007: Arrangements to minimise the spread of flu virus on Tristan da Cunha

Extracts from a Public Notice from Administrator David Morley
Medical advice received from Dr Szabo suggests that, while we wait for the virus currently affecting so many members of the community to ease, we should take all sensible measures to minimise the risk of further spreading the infection.  So Dr Szabo recommends that we all do whatever we can to avoid close proximity with each other, especially in buildings and enclosed spaces. 

Special Measures :

* St Mary's School will be closed for the remainder of the term. 
* People needing to see Dr Szabo should make an appointment.
* Only essential hospital visits should be made, with a single visitor at any one time to each patient.
* The Fishing Factory has shut down production for commercial operational reasons. (see Fishing News for details)
* The Island Store, closed presently for stocktaking, will have revised arrangements to minimise gathering of people when it re-opens.
* Church services will be held outside, probably using St Mary's School quadrangle which offers both rain cover and open air.
* Sheep Shearing Day, planned for Saturday 8th December, will initially be postponed for one week.
* Other large social gatherings should also be avoided.
* Asthma sufferers with surplus inhalers are asked to return them to the hospital, nevertheless retaining one in use and one spare.

The community are urged to be not overly concerned by the measures as they are designed purely to minimise risk to the community while we await our drug re supply.
New Camogli Hospital Team

Tristan's medical team is now led by Dr Laszlo Pal Szabo aka Laszlo as Dr Carel Van der Merwe left aboard MV Kelso on Tuesday 4th December for a period of leave.
 
They are pictured on Friday 7th December 2007 by David Morley:
Left to right: Dilys Green, Glenda Swain, Sandra Rogers, Dr Szabo, Teresa Green, and Judith Green.

Viking Sick Bay
The fishing vessel Viking Bay returned to Tristan da Cunha on Wednesday 21st November with another casualty who needed attention by Dr Carel at Camogli Hospital. Abraham Velgas injured his wrist when working a winch, and was treated quickly and is pictured left soon afterwards. The Viking Bay hasn't had a very successful season, and will transfer now to the Indian Ocean, taking Abraham and the now recovered Jose Parada (see story below) with them.
The photograph left taken by David Morley in the Tristan Settlement shows, left to right: Joseph Daniel (from Namibia who provided valuable translation for Jose when he first arrived), Jose Vidal, Sergio Ramirez, Gabrial Santos, and the two casualties - Jose Parada and Abraham Velgas.

Project Tristan officially launched
On 14 November, a medical project called Project Tristan was officially launched by its sponsors in the USA. The objective of this project, which has been running since April, is to offer the local Medical Officer the means to have patient data analysed in the USA over a secure computer link. Project Tristan combines medical equipment, technology, satellite communications and remotely supported health record technology.

Details include:

 

* Electronic capture and sharing of medical data and information, including not only X-Rays and EKGs but also pulmonary function evaluations and video camera examinations with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

 

* Satellite communications that link UPMC clinicians with the island physician to provide real-time diagnoses and recommended treatments, including surgeries, even in emergency situations.

 

* Electronic patient health records for every resident on the island.

The Tristan da Cunha community is grateful for the initiative and generosity of IBM, Beacon Equity Partners, Medweb, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in setting up this facility which compliments existing medical liaison through the Swinfen Trust (see below).

Report from Administrator David Morley 20th November 2007

Jose Making Good Progress : Hopes to be home for a Spanish Christmas

Dr Carel reports on Thursday 15th November that the Spanish sailor Jose Garcia is thankfully making a good recovery and walking about the village most days. He will go back on the Kelso early in December, then probably fly home to Spain.

Viking Bay crewman's life-saving operation - Report Posted 16th November 2007

A 53 year old Spanish crewman Jose Manuel Parada Garcia, was taken seriously ill on the fishing vessel Viking Bay and landed for medical treatment at Camogli Hospital on Thursday 8th November. Upon examination Dr Carel decided an operation was necessary and effectively saved the seaman's life.  Had he returned to Cape Town for treatment on the Kelso leaving Friday 9th November, which was the original plan, he probably wouldn't have survived the trip.
 
As it is, he will remain in the Tristan da Cunha settlement, hopefully returning on the next scheduled ship when the Kelso returns at the end of November, due to depart for Cape Town on 5th December. Unfortunately, like almost all of the 9 voyages by MV Kelso and MV Edinburgh each year, the ship is fully booked, and the island's administration is now checking to see if the fishing company Ovenstone can find him a space.

We understand that he spoke to both his parents before the operation and it is hoped he will be up and about by Monday.

Report from Tristan Administrator David Morley on 9th November 2007

Doctor's Peak Practice pays off
Joerg Jaschinski, the departing Medical Officer, was able to hand over to his successor on 24 January and fulfil his ambition of ascending St Mary's Peak.  (Joerg and Administrator Mike Hentley had been preparing with daily 7km walks to the Patches for the past 2 years!). This shot of Joerg on a ridge above Hottentot Gulch on The Base at about 1000 metres shows the intrepid doctor as the mist shrouds the party. See the finale to the climb, led by Islander Martin Green, in a feature on the Administrator's Page.
New Doctor Arrives

Dr Carel Van der Merwe arrived on 19 January to succeed Dr Joerg Jaschinski as Medical Office on Tristan.  Here are Carel and his wife Ingrid signing the visitor's book at the Residency on their first night on the Island.  The Jaschinski family have been on the island since early 2005 and will be departing when the Edinburgh sails towards the end of this week.
Bulgarian Sailor Returns Home
Nikolay Koyunderliev left Camogli Hospital for the last time on Thursday 22nd June bound for Calshot Harbour and the departing MV Edinburgh. He is expected to be flown home from Cape Town by the end of June.

Successful Operation on Bulgarian Sailor
Injured 33 year old Bulgarian sailor Nikolay Koyunderliev had an operation conducted by Tristan Doctor Joerg Jaschinski on Friday 2nd June to insert a tibial pin to straighten a fractured femur. The injuries were sustained in a fall on the MV Pirgos (see below) and Nikolay was evacuated to Camogli Hospital on 28th May suffering from facial and abdominal injuries as well as a leg fracture. Dr Jaschinski wishes to thank Lord Roger and Lady Pat Swinfen of the Swinfen Trust for their invaluable on-line help with the management of the patient, who is recovering well.

< Photograph shows Nikolay with, from left to right, nurses Judith Green, Sandra Rogers and Beverley Repetto.

Thanks to Swinfen Trust
Dr Jaschinski and the Tristan Community wish to acknowledge the service provided by Swinfen Telemedicine Links Trust which was set up by Roger and Pat Swinfen specifically to be able to give advice to doctors working in isolated communities, often on their own, but who need to give complex and specialist treatment, including operations under general anaesthetic, to local patients when evacuation to specialist centres is impossible. The charity has been helping Tristan da Cunha since 2001 and have dealt with well over 50 consultations whereby they give specialist advice. They also donated a camera for sending pictures of x rays and clinical signs that the doctor needs advice on.

Poppy Lavarello's Graduation

Poppy Lavarello received her Certificate of Graduation in Nursing in the Prince Philip Hall on Thursday 1st June 2006. The photograph shows Poppy receiving her Graduation Certificate from Chief Islander Anne Green with Nursing Manager Sandra Rogers, left and Dr Joerg Jaschinski. 

Graduation Gown

As part of the ceremony, Poppy dressed in theatre uniform and is with Judith Green and Lily Swain.

The medical team were busy preparing for an operation on an injured Bulgarian sailor due on 2nd June - see details above and story of his evacuation in May below.

Bulgarian Seaman rescued

Report from Chief Islander Anne Green - 28th May 2006

The Bulgarian ship 'Pirgos' arrived off Tristan da Cunha on the afternoon of Sunday 28th May. Even though it was quite breezy with the wind whipping up waves the RIB went out with the doctor, who went on board to assess the condition of the injured man.

< Photograph shows the RIB leaving Calshot Harbour

The man - Nikolay Koyunderliev - had compound fractures to his leg, his  jaw was also broken, and several teeth as well. It is understood (the crew have limited English!) that he had fallen from a height of about 7.7metres from 'the tweendeck onto a tank top'.

Tristan doctor Joerg Jaschinski recommended that Nikolay needed shore-based treatment and he was brought back to Camogli Hospital. He is much improved since being brought ashore., but has not been able to eat properly owing to the damage to his face.

< Photograph shows the RIB returning with Nikolay on board

Anne Green is arranging for someone to cook his meals, when he is able to eat, and each night one of the men from the various government departments will sit up with the nurse on duty in case they need help in moving him. The next scheduled boat is the MV Edinburgh, expected to depart around 21st June, so that Nikolay should reach Cape Town by 26th June.

< The RIB returned to Calshot Harbour and about to organise transport of the casualty to Camogli Hospital.