Papua New Guinea now has its first national wheelchair service training team! Nine personnel from the National Orthotics and Prosthetics Service (NOPS) and Cheshire Disability Services have completed a Training of Trainers (TOT) course in Lae, PNG. This training was…
Motivation Australia would like to congratulate eight staff from the PNG National Orthotics and Prosthetics Service (NOPS) and one physiotherapist from Cheshire Disability Services who have just completed the second stage of their intermediate level wheelchair service training. Intermediate level…
Motivation Australia was delighted to participate in the first Melanesia Sub-regional Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Forum, hosted by Persons with Disability Solomon Islands in Honiara last week and coordinated by the World Health Organisation, Pacific Island Forum Secretariat and Pacific…
Motivation Australia’s spent a week with Timor-Leste’s CNR wheelchair service provision team facilitating a children’s wheelchair clinic. These clinics are an opportunity to further develop the specific skills and knowledge required to provide an appropriate wheelchair for children who need…
The National Health Service of Samoa are trying to address the lack of mobility device services for children and adults with a permanent mobility disability. A brand new facility has been designed and construction is scheduled to commence in the…
Motivation Australia has begun an exciting new project, commissioned by the World Health Organisation Western Pacific Regional Office, to develop training resources to help prevent lower limb amputation as a result of diabetes; and to support the return to mobility…
Intermediate level wheelchair training was recently held in Lae, Papua New Guinea. Ten staff from the National Orthotics and Prosthetics Service (NOPS) the Department of Health and Cheshire Homes Services were joined by two staff from Kiribati’s Tungaru Rehabilitation Service…
A wheelchair basketball coaching and athletes clinic was recently held in Dili, Timor-Leste by Motivation Australia volunteer coaches Alison Mosely and Lisa Chaffey and local partners ASSERT. Fourteen participants participated in the five day clinic, including four women new to…
Motivation Australia recently completed a training and support visit to our partners in Papua New Guinea. One of the key activities of the visit was training; 19 local staff members successfully completed Basic Wheelchair Service Training. Trainees learned how to…
Motivation Australia recently worked with the Mango Tree Rehabilitation Centre in Tonga to mentor staff through a seating clinic; providing wheelchairs for children with more complex needs. The focus of the clinic was to further develop the knowledge and skills of a technician, and an Australian volunteer physiotherapist working at the Mango Tree.
Late last year, the building of our partner in Kiribati – the Tungaru Rehabilitation Service (TRS) had burnt to the ground. Since that time, Motivation Australia has been working closely with TRS to offer what assistance we can. TRS have moved their service to a temporary location; and requested assistance to re-stock their tools, equipment and materials to enable them to continue proving a low tech orthotics service; basic and intermediate wheelchair provision; and their physiotherapy programme. Motivation Australia secured funds through the Church of the Latter Day Saints, Rotary and private donors – to purchase hand and power tools, materials for wheelchair modifications, prosthetic repair and orthotics fabrication. The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics have helped considerably in sourcing this equipment, and procuring donations in kind from Australian suppliers. Together – we have been able to help TRS on the slow path to recovery.
Basic level wheelchair training was held in the Kingdom of Tonga in November for participants from Tongatapu and the Outer Island Groups of Ha’apai and Vava’u. The training was made up of a clinical training section – incorporating the WHO Wheelchair Service Training (basic level) course material; and a technical training section, which focused on the skills needed to assemble, adjust, maintain and repair wheelchairs.
2012: June saw Fiji National University (FNU) school of physiotherapy students and lecturers participate in Fiji’s first WHO Wheelchair Service Provision (basic) training course. The WHO training package focuses on developing the skills and knowledge of personnel involved in wheelchair service provision for adults and children who have a mobility disability – but can sit upright without additional postural support.
Motivation Australia staff were shocked to hear this week that the building of our partner in Kiribati Tungaru Rehabilitation Service (TRS) had burnt to the ground. Fortunately no one was injured, but all tools, machinery and mobility products were lost.
Our thoughts are with the TRS staff who will now begin the slow process of rebuilding their service again from nothing.
In July 2012, Motivation Australia’s Ray Mines and consultants Huy Nguyen and Kaori Oka (ISPO Australia Outreach) carried out a feasibility study investigating the provision of Mobility Devices (wheelchairs, supportive seating and Prosthetics and Orthotics) in Vanuatu. Adding a wheelchair…
Motivation Australia was pleased to work with the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE) on their first WHO Wheelchair Service Provision (basic) training course.
17 students on the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) diploma course successfully completed the training.
Last month saw Motivation Australia complete a mentoring and support visit to work with the team at ASSERT in Dili, Timor-Leste. Last year ASSERT participated in piloting the World Health Organisation’s intermediate level Wheelchair Service Provision training course. Since then, ASSERT have been working with children and adults who need additional support to sit upright in their wheelchair.
Survey for Thursday 4th April, 2019 ‘Pacific leaders creating sustainable services’ Motivation Australia, in partnership with the Pacific Disability Forum announce the Pacific Rehabilitation and Mobility Conference in Nadi, Fiji 3rd – 5th April 2019 The conference brings together…
Motivation Australia with local partners the National CBR Unit held the WHO Draft Wheelchair Service Training Package (Intermediate Level) in Honiara.
The WHO training package focuses on the provision of appropriate manual wheelchairs for children and adults who require extra postural support.
Motivaton Australia and the National Disablity Council of Samoa (NOLA) recently carried out a feasibility study in Samoa – to explore the existing wheelchair and prosthetic services currently available in Samoa.
As for many Pacific Island countries, the study identified a lack of appropriate wheelchairs and an absence of wheelchair services.