For decades, Orthopaedic Outreach has been quietly changing lives across the region, bringing vital surgical care and training to communities where access is limited. Through long-standing programs in Indonesia, Fiji, Tonga, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, and outreach services across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, volunteer surgeons are sharing skills, building local capability and delivering care to those who need it most. In this interview, Melbourne spine surgeon Mr John Cunningham shares his experience with the program and what these missions truly mean for patients, families and future generations of clinicians.
Behind every successful outreach mission is a complex network of people, planning and purpose. As Orthopaedic Outreach Operational Manager Graham Hextell reflects,
“This is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we work as one. The efficiencies LifeHealthcare has introduced amplify the impact of our missions on the ground.”
By supporting the logistics of collecting, storing and transporting essential surgical equipment for Orthopaedic Outreach, LifeHealthcare and EBOS MedTech help enable surgeons to stay focused where it matters most, in theatre, with patients.
Reflecting on the partnership, LifeHealthcare CEO Paul Petherbridge says,
“We’ve spent decades supporting orthopaedic clinicians and their patients, and while our purpose has always been to make life better for others here in Australia and New Zealand, programs like Orthopaedic Outreach allow us to extend that care to our neighbours who need it most.”
Together, this collaboration stands as a quiet but powerful example of what’s possible when expertise, generosity and shared purpose come together.
