Invaluable tool offering
SPCA Fiji Islands gifted with an invaluable tool in veterinary practice – an x-ray machine
The SPCA Fiji Islands is excited to take possession of the gift of a portable x-ray machine at our clinic in Walu Bay (Suva). It has taken three years to mark its actual arrival and set-up at the clinic.
The SPCA Fiji Islands acknowledges with much gratitude this essential diagnostic tool from D R Patel Pty Ltd. Mr Ashok Patel represented the donors at a small unveiling ceremony Thursday.
The x-ray machine, imported from New Zealand, is valued at FJ$70,000. The long process of getting it into the clinic has been a combination of the organisation needing to find and pay costs associated with the machine’s release and administrative complications brought on by COVID-19.
“This is a dream come true. We have made so many attempts to get one, even a second-hand one would have made a significant impact to the services we were able to offer the general public but particularly the animals that come through our doors, so to receive a new machine is an absolute joy,’ Seema Deo, chair of the SPCA executive committee, said.
Dr Jo Olver, the SPCA Fiji Islands senior veterinarian, is delighted. Dr Olver said x-ray images have been a significant addition to veterinary medicine over several decades. Being able to see “what is going on inside an animal that is otherwise a guess” will mean timely and definitive diagnosis.
“Treatment plans and options can now be formulated knowing what damage we have to deal with. A serious problem here in Fiji is the number of motor vehicle accidents - x-ray images are an invaluable tool in dealing with these patients - and for shelter animals it can mean all the difference in the world. We are currently using the machine almost daily,” Dr Olver said.
The x-ray machine was unveiled in a small ceremony on Thursday, that included a “thank – you” afternoon tea to our incredible volunteers who supported the recent Tim Howick-Smith Memorial 1000 Paws Walk in Suva.
The SPCA Fiji Islands is Fiji’s first animal welfare organisation and shelter, established as a charitable trust in 1953.
Ariela is an executive member of the SPCA group. The information provided in this article is for general guidance only. SPCA Fiji Islands urges the public to seek professional veterinary advice for your particular situation and needs. The views expressed in this article are the author’s and not necessarily shared by this newspaper.