A volunteer group of medical practitioners is off to Salcedo, Ecuador, this week to carry out reconstructive surgery.

The organisation is called Project Change and offers a comprehensive reconstructive plastic surgery to indigent patients in developing nations.

?We are a dedicated team of volunteer doctors, nurses, health-care administrators, and staff who ensure the highest standard of care to our patients,? said Elan Clinic plastic surgeon Dr. Christopher Johnson. ?Our state-of-the-art services are provided free of charge and our goal is to make our patient whole through life changing surgeries.?

The group leaves the Island on February 5 until February 13, and they are still in need of blankets, diapers, children?s Tylenol, Pediaprofen and infant formula. Accommodation is being provided by Rotary International.

The parent organisation of Project Change is the University of Massachusetts Foundation, a registered humanitarian medical charity. Its motto is ?Make man whole; one surgery at a time?.

Project Change has provided free surgery to people in developing nations for the past 14 years and thousands of patients have benefited from the services of this organisation. The group has supported general surgery, urological surgery, and plastic surgery missions in developing nations.

It will provide consultations and surgeries to more than 200 patients with, but not limited to, the following medical conditions: cleft palate or cleft lip reconstruction, burn reconstruction, microtia repair, which is a reconstruction for children born without ears.

The participants in this medical expedition are plastic surgeon Dr. Christopher L. Johnson, anaesthetist Dr. Hannes Els, administrator and logistics Ianthia Simmons-Wade, nurse Lesley Fife, operating room nurse Sarah Miller, and Intensive Care Unit recovery nurses Ricky Gunthorpe and Regina Todd.

For more information on the project or to offer assistance contact Ianthia Simmons-Wade on 735-2388.