Dr Raf Ghabrial with patients in the clinic.
Honouring the legacy of the late Sydney ophthalmologist Dr Raf Ghabrial, his friends and family have launched a fundraising drive for the charity he established, Friends of Nias.
Lagundri Bay on the island of Nias, Indonesia, is known as one of the world’s top 10 places to surf.
Dr Ghabrial, who died in tragic circumstances two years ago, was a keen surfer and started the charity, Friends of Nias, to provide general medical care for the people on the island.
Keeping the clinic open was important not just to the people on the island, but to honour Dr Ghabriel’s legacy
Dr Ghabrial’s friend and colleague, ophthalmologist Dr Simon Nothling, is now helping with running/ directing the clinic. He said the organisation was also responsible for upskilling a team of local doctors and nurses who are engaged in running the clinic on a day-to-day basis.’
Keeping the clinic open was important, not just to the people on the island, but to honour Dr Ghabrial’s legacy, Dr Nothling said.
“I was up there last year. A lot of the people there can’t afford any medical care, so they really appreciate the clinic as it’s free for the local people. I took a lot of glasses up there and they were very, very grateful for that.
“Other volunteer doctors have done different things up there. We’ve done a little bit with epigastric pain and [the bacteria] helicobacter pylori, which seems to be a big problem up there.
“Diabetes is also an issue, and we get testing kits up there to try to manage their diabetes better… and there are quite a lot of scooter accidents and skin infections in the tropics, so we always try and keep a good supply of antibiotics up there.”
While volunteer opportunities exist, Dr Nothling said the most urgent need was for funds, to keep the clinic operational.
The organisation is registered as a charity with tax-deductible status through World Relief Australia.
Find out more about the clinic on the Friends of Nias website and make a donation to support the work.
