The last two weeks has been an exciting time for Mrs Rowena Asugeni, Director of Nursing at Atoifi Adventist Hospital, and Foundation Member of the Atoifi Health Research Group.
Rowena spent time with Dr David MacLaren, James Cook University, Cairns where she worked on manuscripts to report her Masters project about health services for people who have tuberculosis in Solomon Islands.
Rowena also worked with Dr Michelle Redman-MacLaren, CQUniversity, where they jointly worked on a manuscript to report adaptation to sea-level rise instigated and enacted by local villagers in East Kwaio, Solomon Islands.
Mrs Asugeni said, “There were so many wonderful opportunities during this visit, funded by a WHO Research Capacity Strengthening grant, held by the Atoifi Health Research Group.”
Mrs Asugeni continued, “meeting with so many academics, including Professor Sarah Larkins, Director of Research in the College of Medicine and Dentistry, Professors Ray Mueller and Petra Buettner, amongst others was inspiring and encouraging. There is a lot of support available for our work in remote Solomon Islands.”
Towards the end of the second week, Mrs Asugeni was joined by Dr Jason Diau, Chief Medical Officer, Atoifi Adventist Hospital, who travelled with herself and Dr MacLaren to the Townsville campus of James Cook University. There they reviewed the medical placement program for Medical and Physician Assistant students at Atoifi Hospital with Mr Ando Kerlen, Academic Coordinator, Physician Assistant Program, and made plans for more students to learn from, and contribute to, Atoifi Hospital in 2017.
An additional bonus was the time Mrs Asugeni spent with fellow public health researcher and PhD candidate, Mrs Rachel Tommbe. “Writing alongside Rachel, as a successful Melanesian researcher, has really encouraged me to continue to write up my research findings, so that we can make positive changes to the health of people in the Pacific.”
Mrs Asugeni returned to Solomon Islands last week, where she had planned meetings with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in Honiara, including the Head of Research, Mrs Freda Pitakaka.
If you would like to know more about the research being conducted by the arts with the health research group, please email Mrs Rowena Asugeni: rowenaasugeni@gmail.com
Photo (L-R): Rowena Asugeni, Ando Kerlen, Dr Jason Diau at JCU in Townsville (phot credit: David MacLaren)
