Healthcare workers are a busy lot. The long hours and sheer amount of time spent on their feet must make them pretty deserving of a weekend lie-in, right?
Pictured above are some of our theatre superstars on Community Surgery Day, from left: Armando Casantosan, Daphne Van Dam and Kate Wilson.
No matter how many patients they help, or hours they may work, it never ceases to amaze that these special humans are often the first to put their hands up to help those in need.
So it was that dozens of volunteers joined forces to help Braemar Charitable Trust get its annual Community Surgery Day off the ground on a Saturday for the third year in a row, this time enabling 26 patients to receive free procedures, all as part of the Trust’s goal to improve health outcomes and increase access to healthcare for those who need it most.
Braemar Charitable Trust has been providing free surgeries since it was established in 1970, through the past three years has seen this this ramp up significantly as the Trust has grown its offerings to respond to increasing demand. Patients who are eligible for referral are those who have been declined or are unable to access timely care through the public health system and who don’t have health insurance or ACC cover, nor the financial means to pay privately.
Trust Manager Paula Baker says the Community Surgery Day’s success is owed entirely to those who volunteer their time, skill and effort on the day and leading up to it.
“We are beyond grateful to have some great relationships out there with a wonderful network of clinicians and volunteers who give so generously with their time to help us help those who need it most,” she says.
“We’re also fortunate to be able to utilise Braemar Hospital on a Saturday, which is integral to making this happen, as well as the donations of consumables from our wonderful suppliers.”
This year’s day focused on general and vascular surgery, endoscopy and gynaecological procedures. Ms Baker says the Trust works collaboratively with community health providers to identify areas of unmet need and seek referrals from GPs and specialists across the region.
“As a Trust, we are focused on how we can be nimble and respond to the changing needs of our community. Working in partnership with our health colleagues and other community providers is key to this and we are proud to walk this road with them to help determine better health outcomes for everyone in our community.”
The Community Surgery Day in 2025 enabled 32 eligible patients to receive free procedures, including gynaecological, dental, and paediatric and adult general surgery.
A clinician’s perspective
Gastroenterologist Jerry Chin (pictured) was quick to volunteer for Community Surgery Day, saying it was a chance to make a meaningful difference to patients’ lives.
“It comes back to why any of us went into medicine in the first place. A day like this reaches people who most need care and are least able to get it – those who are on long public waiting lists, those for whom private care is out of reach, and people who are rural or without a regular GP.”
Dr Chin and his team performed free diagnostic and preventive colonoscopies at Community Surgery Day, examining the large bowel for precancerous polyps and removing them on the spot if needed.
“New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world. Public waiting lists can be long, and that delay is where early, treatable disease slips through,” he says.
“Colonoscopy is unique in that we can find a problem and fix it in the same sitting, so every procedure on a day like this is a chance to catch something early or prevent it altogether. Here in the Waikato region, the need is very real so days like this are very rewarding and fulfilling for everyone involved.”
Supporting the Trust’s work into the future
The Trust owns Hamilton’s Braemar Hospital and applies the dividends it receives to undertake activities to deliver on its charitable purpose. Alongside the support of community-based funders and procedures performed for free by surgeons and anaesthetists, the Trust can fund free surgeries for people who meet its criteria. The Trust also funds health related research and health sector capability building, including GP upskilling programmes and nursing and health-related scholarships.
Ms Baker says that as the Trust’s work has become more known, they regularly receive inquiries from people keen to volunteer their time to help in any way they can.
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supports us, whether that’s as a clinician or healthcare worker, volunteers making cups of tea, to those who simply tell people they know about the Trust’s work.
“In fact, I would say that the more people who can share the work we do, via social media or in person, the better, as it all makes a big difference in helping us help others and ultimately improve health outcomes in our community.”
Here are a few more photos captured of the wonderful people who spent their Saturday helping others!
