Doctors Assisting in South-Pacific Islands Ltd.(also known as DAISI) is a not-for-profit Australian based charitable organisation founded by general and colorectal surgeon Dr Gary Mckay from Sydney. DAISI has a commitment to supporting and collaborating with its South-Pacific Neighbours.
DAISI consists of specialist and non specialist doctors, medical students, nurses, allied health professionals and non medical volunteers who have spent time volunteering their services in the South Pacific with DAISI. Prior to 2017 membership was exclusive to doctors and medical students. In 2017 membership was opened to non medical volunteers including nurses, allied health professionals, logisticians and other non-medical volunteers.
DAISI® has at its core an emphasis on collaborating with existing health facilities and its doctors and nurses in the South-Pacific. Our aim is to encourage doctors and nurses from Australia and New Zealand to volunteer their services during and after their training in the South Pacific. Our aim is also to promote lasting change through sustainable development goals (SDGs) with our main emphasis on local capacity building by encouraging, teaching and collaborating with our South Pacific neighbouring doctors and nurses.
The Executive Committee consists of the Chair, Deputy-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary & CEO. These are elected by DAISI® members every 2 years, with next elections due in December 2021. Office Bearer positions are reviewed by the Board/Executive Committee every 2 years.
DAISI’s aim is to provide its donors with good value for money with only a very small percentage (usually less than 15%) spent on administration. DAISI Board/Executive Committee, Office Bearers, and Members all volunteer their services receiving no salary, and pay their own way on volunteer trips to the South-Pacific. DAISI emphasises the importance of collaboration and partnerships and only sends volunteers to countries in the South-Pacific that it has a current contractual Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with, where the volunteers are fit for purpose. The emphasis is always on providing services and teaching where it is requested and most needed. DAISI takes its organisational Governance issues very seriously, with the aim to always be totally transparent and compliant with the Australian Council For International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct, and reporting obligations to the Australian Charities & Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
DAISI is committed to the responsible donation and maintenance of high quality and necessary medical equipment, with policies ensuring this, as well as mitigating the negative environmental impacts of donated goods.
Executive Committee Members
Prof Christophe Berney – Chair
Email Prof Christophe Berney
Prof Christophe Berney is the Chair of DAISI. Prior to this he was the Acting Chair in 2021 and Acting Secretary in 2019. Prof Berney is a General surgeon from Sydney with expertise in colorectal, upper GI and thyroid surgery having both public and private hospital appointments. Prof Berney is also a Conjoint Professor with the University of NSW. Prof Berney has a keen interest in humanitarian work in developing countries and first volunteered with DAISI in Gizo (Solomon Islands) in September 2017, has returned to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and PNG as a DAISI volunteer on a numerous occasions.
Sam Deylami – Treasurer
Email Sam Deylami
Mr Sam Deylami is DAISI’s elected Treasurer. Sam has experience in Industrial Management and Finance and member of The Institute of Public Accountants. Mr Deylami advises DAisi in all finance matters. In addition Mr Deylami provides pro bono services to a number of other charitable organisations including the Haemophilia Foundation New South Wales, Launchpad Youth Community, Ryde Persian School and some other charities
Prof Peter Hewett – Secretary
Email Prof Peter Hewett
Professor Peter Hewett has been the Secretary of DAISI since mid 2023. Prof Peter Hewett has also been the Solomon Island’s Program Officer coordinating all activities in the Solomon Island’s since 2019. Prof Hewett first volunteered in the Solomon Islands with DAISI in April 2018, where he conducted the fourth laparoscopic session at National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara, teaching various aspects of general and colorectal laparoscopic surgery. Prof Hewett returns regularly. Prof Peter Hewett is a Colorectal Surgeon and the head of the Colorectal Surgical Unit at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Adelaide. Professor Hewett is a keen academic and teacher and an associate editor for Diseases of Colorectal Surgery from 2004 to 2009. Prof Hewett is committed to humanitarian volunteer work, with most of his overseas charitable work to date as a colorectal surgeon in mainland China. Professor Hewett has completed numerous volunteer trips to both Gizo Hospital and National Referral Hospital (NRH) in the Solomon Islands and has been a key figure in establishing DAISI partnership with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) in the Solomon Islands.
Board Members
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Dr Danny Kozman
Dr Danny Kozman is a DAISI Board Member. From 2017 – 2019 he was also the elective Deputy Chair of DAISI. Dr Kozman is a colorectal surgeon from St George and Bankstown Hospital in Sydney who first visited Honiara and Gizo hospital in July/August 2016. Dr Kozman is keen on teaching all aspects of colorectal and laparoscopic surgery. Although Dr Kozman has a wife and young kids and a busy practice in Sydney he is committed to developing colorectal surgical services in the Solomon Islands. Dr Kozman would also like to see an exchange program where surgical trainees can visit Australia and New Zeakand and do observational rotations in surgical units to increase their surgical exposure.
Dr Santee Santhanam
Dr Santhanam is a DAISI Board Member. Dr Santhanam was born in Chennai, India, and graduated from Medicine at Madras University in 1968 and migrated to Australia in 1972, trained at Royal Newcastle hospital, from June 72 till jan 1980, and was in Sydney Hospital, in 1980 and at St Marks for 6 months in 1988. After a short hon. fellowship in Sydney hospital, Dr Santhanam started his private specialist practice in 1981, mostly colorectal and some general surgery. Dr Santhanam worked for many years at Belmont public hospital, and now works at Lake MacQuarie Private Hospital and Mater Private Hospital in Sydney where his is involved in colorectal and robotic surgery.
Dr Santhanam visited and taught surgery as a DAISI member at numerous hospitals in the Solomon Islands, including the Methodist Helena Goldie Hospital in Munda and the government Gizo Hospital in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. He also visited Taro hospital in the remote Choiseul province on a fact finding mission in January 2017.
Dr Sepehr Lajevardi
– Deputy Chair
Dr Sepehr Lajevardi is DAISI’s Deputy Chair. Dr Lajevardi is a plastic surgeon and a board member & co-founder of DAISI, and previous elected Treasuer (2015-2017) and Chair (2018-2019). Dr Lajevardi has been instrumental in organising the donation of much needed medical supplies and organising funding grants for DAISI projects. Dr Lajevardi has a particular interest in plastics and hand/tendon surgery. During COVID lockdown Dr Lajervardi has been a key participant in DAISI’s online ZOOM teaching sessions for surgeons and trainees in the South-Pacific.
Dr Gary McKay
Email Dr Gary McKayDr Gary McKay is a founding member of DAISI, a board member, and was the elected Secretary since DAISI’s inception in 2012 until June 2023 when he stood down. Dr McKay has had a long interest and involvement in global health. Dr McKay regularly volunteers in the South Pacific. Although no longer DAISI’s Secretary, Dr McKay remains a committed DAISI member.
