Tongan surgeon receives Greg Urwin Award 2013 [1]
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 - 19:14. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
Dr Kolini Vaea, a general surgeon at Vaiola Hospital in Tongatapu has been selected as one of five Pacific Islanders of the Greg Urwin Awards for 2013.
The awards will provide financial support for up to AUD$25,000 for recipients to take up workplace attachments for several months with either a Pacific regional organisation or an Australian organisation that best suits their career aspirations and future leadership potential, relevant to the needs of their countries.
Dr Kolini Vaea will be placed at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva to work on the performance and effective diagnosis of ultrasound scanning.
He is currently a general surgeon at Vaiola Hospital, where he has conducted breast cancer awareness and screening programs in Tonga. He graduated with a Masters in Surgery from the Fiji School of Medicine in 2011.
The other awardees includes Kilifi O'Brien a Deputy Secretary at Tuvalu's Ministry of Home Affairs, Merriam Seth a bio security-officer with Bio-security Vanuatu and recipient of the 2011 Prime Minister's Pacific Australia Award, Dr Viali Lameko the Director of Clinical Programs and Senior Clinical Lecturer at the Oceania University of the Medicine in Apia and Rakesh Chandra Raju a Masters graduate from the University of Wollongong and Fiji National University School of Accounting.
Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Forum Secretary General and chairperson of the awards selection commitee said they have a group of high calibre awardees whom he believed would become strong leaders in their respective fields. "All deserve the honour of the Greg Urwin prize," he said.
Leadership
Established in 2008, the awards recognise the late Greg Urwin's leadership as Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat from 2004-08, and are offered to Pacific Islanders with the potential to become eminent leaders in their field of experience.
Work placements provides awardees with valuable experience and exposure to the region, as well as the opportunity to develop beneficial links and contacts to enhance their contributions to the development of their countries.
The awards are co-managed by AusAID Pacific Leadership program and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.