Crusading medic accepts invite Nobel prize doc to visit
WHEN a revered Townsville surgeon invited Nobel Peace Prize co-winner Denis Mukwege to visit the city he didn’t really expect him to accept.
But the crusading gynaecologist accepted Townsville Hospital’s Director of Urogynaecology Professor Ajay Rane’s offer.
“When Professor Denis agreed to visit Townsville, I was so humbled and so grateful,” Prof Rane said.
“Being the current co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, this is one busy man.
“To have him visit Townsville will put the city on the international stage.
“This is a man whose voice is heard and listened to.”
Prof Mukwege will be the keynote speaker at the charity Prof Rane helped establish, Flourishing Women.
The official launch of Flourishing Women will be held November 4 at The Ville Resort-casino.
Prof Mukwege has spent more than two decades treating appalling injuries inflicted on women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His work was subject of a critically acclaimed film The Man who Mends Women.
Prof Rane, who is the chair of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics Fistula Committee, described the Nobel Peace prize winner as “one of the truly great leaders, great humanitarians”.
“When he speaks, he inspires, he motivates. I guarantee there will not be a dry eye when Professor Denis addresses the audience (at the Flourishing Women official launch).”
The Nobel Peace Prize winner also treats obstetric fistula, a debilitating condition resulting from prolonged obstructed labour in the absence of medical care or from rape-related trauma.
The Townsville-based Flourishing Women charity provides education to doctors in a developing country on how to help prevent, identify and manage pelvic floor dysfunction including obstetric fistulas.
Prof Rane and his team have been working in low resource countries like India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Fiji and PNG for 22 years.
“But more needs to be done,” he said. “And that is why Flourishing Women has been set up.
“In the past the work done has been largely self-funded.
“Establishing the charity hopefully means we can help even more women, train even more doctors.”
Go to flourishingwomen.com.au