DAISI’s Office Bearers consist of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and nine Administrative Officers and five Country Programme Officers. All are honorary volunteer positions with no salary. These positions are voted on on every two year (the odd year). The administrative structure mandates that all Office Bearers be directly responsible to the CEO, except for the Sponsorship Officer who is directly responsible to the Treasurer.
Dr Carina Chow – CEO
Dr Carina Chow is the elected CEO of DAISI. Dr Chow is a Colorectal Surgeon from The Wesley Hospital in Brisbane. Dr Chow has been an active member of DAISI since 2016 instrumental in establishing laparoscopic teaching in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Dr Chow also conducted the first DAISI surgical trip to Vanuatu in July 2018 and first Laparoscopic surgical program to the Highlands of PNG in 2019.
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a/Prof Charbel Sandroussi – Laparoscopic Training Officer
Email a/Prof Charbel Sandroussi.
a/Prof Charbel Sandroussi is the Laparoscopic Training Officer for DAISI. a/Prof Sandroussi is an upper GI, Hepatobiliary & Transplant surgeon from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, with a long history of interest in teaching. A/Prof Sandrousi visited National Referral Hospital (NRH) for one week from 24th-30th April and conducted a laparoscopic cholecystectomy workshop. a/Prof Sandroussi is keen to make regular trips each year to the Solomon Islands for teaching purposes, with an emphasis on training surgeons at NPH in laparoscopic surgery. a/Prof Sandroussi has also been active in the provision of surgery to Pacific Islanders coming to Sydney for necessary surgery.
Ian Hosking-Richards – Sponsorship Officer
Ian Hosking-Richards is the elected Sponsorship Officer for DAISI. Ian, a philanthropist, as wells as the founder of The Solomon Foundation. Ian has been actively involved on many fronts improving the delivery of medical services to the Solomon Islands. Ian has been actively involved with DAISI in the establishment of a cardiac assessment and rehab service at Gizo Hospital and National Referral Hospital and in providing surgical services to Solomon Islands requiring treatment in Australia.
Nili Hali – Child Protection & Legal Officer
Nili Hali is a barrister with experience in international law and volunteer work, and has been DAISI’s Child Protection and Legal Officer practicing in this capacity on a Pro-Bono basis since 2015.
Nili Spent some time at the United Nations in The Hague, The Netherlands and feels strongly about social justice and human rights issues. Nili is a DAISI member and volunteer having being part of the first DAISI team to volunteer in the Solomon Islands.
Nili has a particular interest in child and women’s welfare and safety issues and has been instrumental in raising donations for the women and children’s wards at Gizo Hospital.
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Dr Graeme Wertheimer – Medical Student Liaison Officer
Email Dr Graeme Wertheimer.
Dr Graeme Werthiemer is the DAISI Medical Student Liaison Officer. Dr Graeme Wertheimer is a JMO who first volunteered with DAISI in April 2017 as medical student from Notre Dame university spending one week at Gizo hospital accompanying a general surgical and gynae team. He then volunteered again with DAISI in July at Northern Provincial Hospital (NPH) in Vanuatu in July 2018 and plans to return to Gizo in March 2020 with a visiting Gynae team were interrupted by COVID.
Gary McKay – Shipping & Logistics Officer
Gary McKay is the acting Shipping & Logistics Officer, with this position up for tenure.
Ms Vasu Santhanam –Gender Equality Officer
Vasu Santhanam is DIASI’s Acting Gender Equality Officer, and first person to contact for all maters relating to Gender Inequality. Vasu First volunteered with DAISI in the Solomon Islands in January 2017. Vasu has been crucial to the development of a number of DAISI’s women’s health initiatives.
Vasu was born in Chennai, India, and migrated to Australia in 1972, living in Newcastle. Vasu is now actively involved with migrant communities and translating services, and is a firm believer and outspoken speaker for gender equality.
Ms Lyndall Dalley –Environment Protection Officer
Email Lyndall Dalley.
Ms Lyndall Dalley is DAISI’s Acting Environment Protection Officer. As an environmental management consultant, Lyndall has a passion for navigating the competing objectives of environmental conservation and progress. She has spent her career working with clients (including the State Rail Authority, The Electricity Commission, the Roads & Traffic Authority, the Water Board and a variety of private construction and rural companies) to help them negotiate their way through this conflict. Her work has included project management, community relations, environmental training of staff, report writing, report analysis and multidisciplinary negotiations between consent authorities and clients.
As a resident of the NSW Southern Highlands for almost 20 years, Lyndall has been involved in local politics and community projects in the area. She strongly believes that teaching people to know and love their environment and community is the best way to protect it and make it grow.
She is a member of the Rotary Club of Berrima District, which already supports DAISI through its Medical Aid for Oceania and Worldwide (MAFO) project.
Ms Erina Yip –Disability Support Officer
Email Erina YipErina Yip is a lawyer and DAISI’s Acting disability support officer. Erina has been a member of DIAIS since she first volunteered at National Referral Hospital and Gizo Hospital in February and March 2017.
Country Officers
Prof Peter Hewett – Solomon Islands Programme Officer
Prof. Peter Hewett is the Solomon Island’s Program Officer. Prof Hewett first volunteered in the Solomon Islands 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. Prof. 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. Prof. Hewett has done a number of colorectal surgery development programs in both Gizo Hospital and National Referral Hospital (NRH) in the Solomon Islands, and is currently the DAISI Solomon Islands Program Officer.
a/Prof Konrad Richter – Fiji Programme Officer
a/Prof Konrad Richter is the elected Fiji Program Officer for DAISI. a/Prof Richter is a Colorectal Surgeon, and member of the CSSANZ with a particular interest in cancer surgery. Konrad is also trained in endoscopy/colonoscopy, laparoscopic surgery, upper GI & endocrine surgery. Konrad is originally from Germany but is now an established surgeon in Invercargill Hospital in the South Island of New Zealand. He has is a keen teacher, Associate Dean Southland at the Dunedin School of Medicine and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Otago. Konrad has been an active volunteer with DAISI in Fiji, and the Solomon Islands with a particular interest in the training of surgical trainees and the organisation of overseas electives.
Dr Basil Leodoro – Vanuatu Programme Officer
Dr Basil Leodoro is the Vanuatu Program Officer for DAISI. Dr Leodoro is the head surgeon at Northern District Hospital, Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu and has voluntarily participated and coordinated a number of DAISI trips to NPH.
Dr. Harry Lam – Kiribati Programme Officer
Dr Harry Lam is the current Kiribati Program Officer. Dr Lam has done extensive developing world anaesthetic training, including nine trips to Nepal, two trips to Kiribati, and one to the Solomon Islands. Dr Lam holds a Diploma in Diagnostic Ultrasound (DDU), and is very enthusiastic about teaching. He is also particularly interested in ultrasound guided regional anaesthetics.
Mark Taffa – PNG Programme Officer
Mark Taffa is the elected PNG Program Officer. Prior to this he was the acting Secretary. Mark designs and develops medical equipment, with a keen interest in Pacific Islands development, having volunteered in the highlands of Papua New Guinea with DAISI on numerous occasions. Through his company Horten Medical, Mark has also sponsored school fees for children in Kagua (Souther Highlands of PNG). Mark is actively involved with DAISI, and a regular sponsor to the Annual DAISI Charity Ball. Mark is married to his doctor wife Maryanne, and has three sons aged , 18, 16, and 13. Mark hopes to return to PNG with his sons.
