Medical student wants to focus on consequences of environmental pollution
Miss Dayals Queries Limited Elenoa Totovosau said she would use this week’s Vodafone Ba Riverside Carnival to highlight the naivety of iTaukei landowners and the consequences of environmental pollution.
Originally from Vitogo Village, Lautoka, with maternal links to Nabalesere, Saivou, Ra, Ms Totovoisau is pursuing her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the Umanand Prasad School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Lautoka. She said she had chosen her specific topic
for the carnival’s research night.
“All the contestants are advocating climate change, but my topic is – If one cares for their children and future generations and you want them to enjoy the resources in the same capacity as we do, then we must think about the consequences of our actions,” she said.
“I also have noticed that native people are naïve when it comes to big companies using their land such as the Malolo case and the Bakabaka, Savusavu, case. So I will use this as a platform to highlight that.”
The 22-year-old said she was asked to take part in the Vodafone Ba Riverside Carnival after her mentor advised her to do so. “My mentor usually looks after all the Year 4 MBBS students who are on attachment at the Ba Mission Hospital and she just happened to be on the organising committee for the carnival, so she told me to think about it,” she said.
She said her parents at first did not want her to participate as a contestant. “Initially when I asked them they said no, because they did not want this to affect my studies, but later on they agreed to let me take part. My friends, who are also medical students, have been supportive and will come to see me on Friday or Saturday after their rotations,” she said.
“I am sort of scared because I’ve never done this before, but I think this will help to boost my confidence and I treasure our (fellow contestants) friendship since we have been bonding as sisters over the past few days,” she said.