Taking specialist skills beyond Melbourne and across the Pacific

Pictured: Dr Morisha Ali with volunteer team in Fiji.

Each year, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne cardiologist Dr Morisha Ali travels to Fiji, not for a holiday, but to provide specialist care to communities where access to healthcare can be limited.

“I’ve been doing this voluntary work in Fiji for about 10 years. I started as a junior doctor when I could only do very basic things, but now that I’ve finished my cardiology training, I’m able to offer more specialised care,” says Dr Ali.

Originally from Fiji and then New Zealand, Dr Ali moved to Melbourne to complete a fellowship in echocardiography and CT at SVHM, training that has expanded the care she can provide in Fiji.

“Finishing my fellowship means I can now bring an echo machine with me, screen patients and interpret their imaging, allowing me to provide a much higher level of care," she explains.

During the school holidays, Dr Ali joins a multidisciplinary volunteer team that sets up temporary clinics in rural schools, working alongside local healthcare professionals. There, she assesses patients requiring cardiac care and performs ECGs and echocardiograms on site.

“The main issue we see at the clinics is a lack of primary prevention. Patients often haven’t been diagnosed with conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or rheumatic heart disease because they don’t have access to early screening. As a result, they present much later, when their conditions have progressed significantly," she says.

The opportunity to give back is deeply personal for Dr Ali.

“Being able to give back and see patients in their own communities, particularly when they have limited resources and really need the care, is what drives us to keep going back year after year," she says.

In the future, Dr Ali hopes to continue volunteering in Fiji while exploring opportunities to contribute to outreach work elsewhere in the region, including Timor-Leste.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunities I’ve had through St Vincent’s. The fellowship, and being connected with other cardiologists who share the same passion for outreach, have all helped me make a bigger difference," she reflects.