The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Global Health Otolaryngology (ENT) surgical team completed a successful surgical and audiological mission at Rarotonga Hospital in late February. This marks the third RACS’ Global Health deployment to the Cook Islands—part of a DFAT sponsored initiative spanning 2024 and 2025.Each visit has a huge positive impact on the people of the Cook Islands.

During the week-long mission, the surgical team performed 19 essential ENT surgeries addressing a range of different conditions:
•    myringoplasties (eardrum repairs)
•    examinations under anaesthetic of the ears
•    grommet insertions
•    tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies
•    removal of head and neck lumps
•    nasal polyp removal
•    thyroglossal duct cyst removals.

Eleven of these surgeries were performed on children, making a significant difference to their health, quality of life and future educational outcomes.

Beyond the operating theatre, the team conducted 69 vital ENT clinical consultations, including 29 for children under the age of 16.

The RACS Global Health deployment also included a dedicated audiologist who provided essential diagnostic audiology tests. These tests were crucial for pre-surgical evaluations and for collaborative triage with the ENT surgeon, ensuring appropriate planning for future surgeries and hearing aid fittings.

A significant contribution was the donation of a PC-based diagnostic audiometer by Diatec NZ, which enhanced the hospital's audiological capabilities. The audiologist worked with Pokino Southey, a New Zealand-trained vision and hearing screener. providing hands-on training in diagnostic hearing testing and equipment operation—strengthening local healthcare capacity.

Over six days, the team saw 49 patients, completing 43 comprehensive audiology diagnostic tests, with 23 performed on children.

The impact of this ENT and audiology team's visit is immeasurable. Without their expertise, these critical diagnoses and surgeries wouldn’t be possible for the Cook Islanders. These interventions are truly life-changing, significantly improving patients' health, reducing risks, and, particularly for children, unlocking their full educational potential.

RACS Global Health would like to thank the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for making possible this and similar deployments throughout the Indo-Pacific. A special thanks also to our many donors who support the RACS Global Health Program and the critical work it does.

The team; Dr Rob Grace (centre) with local staff

Meet the team 

Adjunct Associate Professor Bernard Whitfield is a Queensland based ENT surgeon who has been assisting the Pacific Island Nations in delivering ENT surgery and consultations for the past 13 years.

Dr Robert Grace is an Anaesthetist/Intensivist, currently working in Cairns, and has a long-term interest working in the Pacific.

Oriole Wilson is an experienced clinical audiologist from Aotearoa New Zealand. She loves working in the Pacific and is one of the RACS specialist audiology coordinators.

Lee Borzi is an ENT Clinical Nurse Consultant in the Specialty Outpatients Department at Cairns Hospital, with 30 years’ experience in perioperative nursing. This was her first deployment and she found it immensely rewarding.