‘Nothing is impossible’
NOT all heroes wear capes, it’s been said. And this rings especially true for Dr Rusila Tikoitoga.
The 30-year-old has been commended by the public and Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu for her efforts in providing the best health care on Cicia island in Lau.
On the afternoon of February 12, Dr Tikoitoga and her team successfully delivered a set of twins who had initially shown signs of complications at the under-resourced Cicia Health Centre.
According to Dr Tikoitoga, twin one had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck while the other was presented as frank breech buttocks. In similar situations, many doctors would have opted for a cesarean section.
“Nothing is impossible when the spirit of the Creator is present,” said Dr Tikoitoga.
“Nothing beats the goodness of God when He delegates and coordinates our memory and hands in a timed sequence.”
The miraculous event depicts the impossible circumstances faced by health workers in the remote islands, rural communities and the highlands.
Originally from Natokalau on Cicia, Lau, with maternal links to Nukuloa Village on Gau, the eldest of three siblings said they were raised in a God-fearing family.
Growing up, she witnessed the struggles and sacrifices of her parents. Her father was a security officer and her mother a fitter-machinist.
Her path was carved through the struggles and sacrifices of her parents, and those challenges fuelled her determination to rise above the circumstances.
“My dad would always say, ‘we may be poor, but we are rich in Christ as He is the centre and provider for the family’,” said Dr Tikoitoga.
“As long as love is present among us, that is enough.”
From the humble confines of Annesley Methodist Infant School and Suva Methodist Primary School, Dr Tikoitoga excelled in class, securing sponsorship from Thomas National Transport throughout her secondary education.
An alumni of Dudley High School, she was elected head girl and was also awarded the dux prize 2012.
Her dreams of becoming a doctor started during her frequent visits to the hospital when she was a timid, sickly eight-year-old. Witnessing the delicate hands of doctors comforting her amidst the pain, she dreamt of providing the same solace to others.
Through the Fijian Affairs full scholarship award, she was able to graduate from the Fiji School of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Science at FNU with a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery degree.
“There were times when I couldn’t afford medical tools and stationery to study, however, those limitations didn’t hinder me from graduating,” says Dr Tikoitoga.
For her first-hand medical experience, she was listed at the CWM Hospital as an intern before being posted to Levuka Hospital prior to her current setting.
Dr Tikoitoga said it had always been a goal of hers to be posted to the islands of Lau to provide the healthcare for her kinsmen, and she now serves more than 950 people, two of them twins she helped bring into this world.