The Orthobullets Podcast Podiums⎪Hand⎪Volunteerism in Hand Surgery
Jul 15, 2025
Lorenzo Pacelli, an expert in hand surgery, shares insights from his transformative medical missions in Fiji. He discusses the challenges faced within the local healthcare system and the volunteer efforts that aim to enhance surgical care. Lorenzo's personal experiences highlight the importance of collaboration with local staff, the organization required for successful missions, and the lasting benefits such initiatives bring to communities. His stories inspire others to contribute to volunteerism in the medical field.
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Fiji's Healthcare Reality
- Fiji appears as a paradise but lacks adequate healthcare resources for many native villagers.
- Despite tourism appeal, remote Fijian populations live primitively with limited access to healthcare.
Fiji Healthcare Infrastructure
- Fiji has a well-organized healthcare system with three main hospitals and many subdivision hospitals.
- There is a growing number of trained orthopedic surgeons, but no official hand surgeons in Fiji.
Training Through Surgery
- A Fijian registrar had never done an open reduction and fixation of an intertrochanteric hip fracture.
- Dr. Pacelli helped perform this surgery at a regional hospital, demonstrating impactful hands-on training.