Overseas and Charitable Works

Sri Lanka

I spent 3 months in Sri Lanka as a medical student and was delighted to be able to return as a young consultant on a number of occasions to join the Sri Lankan cleft lip and palate project.  This large scale long term project run by Mr Michael Mars aimed to treat children with un-operated cleft palates, to train the local surgeons and to undertake long term research into the condition.  The results of my ENT research is listed in my publications.  I have grown to love the country and had returned for a second honeymoon one month before the Tsunami that devastated the country in 2004.  Mike Mars again lead the way with a very successful fund raising effort "Medical aid to Galle and its Environs" to which we all contributed in our own way to raise funds.

Kyrgystan

My involvement with the Lifeline Charity started with one patient with severe narrowing of the voicebox who had no voice and had to breathe through a pipe in the neck. She eventually returned home without her breathing tube and has kept in touch.  As part of fund-rainsing for the charity I shaved off my beard and have not felt the urge to regrow it! 

Malawi

I have visited a number of hospitals in Africa and was pleased that my niece has taken a year out of her paediatric training to work as a volunteer in Malawi.  Her experiences have focused my current fund-raising efforts on the needs of her Hospital. I always like to raise funds which can be used directly. Please read her story.