Dr Sereima Bale.

Hard work, sacrifice, and dedication were the driving force behind the rise and achievements of senior educational and health professional Dr Sereima Bale.

After serving 22 years with the Fiji National University’s (FNU) College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences (CMNHS), Dr Bale has now retired and will officially finish her role in August.

Growing up in the village of Tavua on Koro Island, the young Sereima Bale always had big dreams in life. She remained grounded through the teaching of her parents and, with strong Christian beliefs, strived to become a medical expert.

She has not only achieved her dream of becoming a doctor in 1969 but also won international awards and accolades for her substantial contributions to the local and regional medical specialists fraternity.

Dr Bale, an Assistant Professor of Anaesthesia at the CMNHS, was seconded to join the then Fiji School of Medicine (FSM) in 1998 as a Senior Lecturer in Anaesthesia. She devoted much of her professional life to improving the health service through education and training of health professionals in the region.

CMNHS Dean Dr William May said Dr Bale’s retirement is a significant loss for the College.

“Dr Bale is a stalwart academic, and the College is extremely proud of her contributions,” said Dr May.

The Dean applauded Dr Bale for playing an instrumental role in establishing the Postgraduate training programme at the then FSM in 1996.

In response, an emotional Dr Bale commented, “since the introduction of the Postgraduate programme, I have attended 22 graduation ceremonies. These were the highlights of my career.”

“It is always an emotional time for me, seeing my students graduate. This programme has produced 94 Postgraduate Diploma in Anaesthesia students so far. Out of these, 44 have completed their Master of Medicine (Anaesthesia) degree and are now practising as specialist Anesthetists in Fiji, the Pacific region and East Timor,” she said.

Fellow Colleague, Dr Jioji Malani, also thanked Dr Bale for her enormous and vital contributions to the medical College and wished her all the best during her retirement.

“Of course we will miss interacting with her, we will miss working with her, but we know that although she will not be with us at the College, she will always be with us in our fond memories,” said Dr Malani.

“She is such a remarkable lady and has taught many students as an academic,” he added.

Speaking of Dr Bale’s recent achievements, the College Dean highlighted that the senior academic had made CMNHS proud as one of only four winners of the 2020 World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists (WFSA) Distinguished Service Awards.

Dr Sereima Bale was farewelled by staff at CMNHS earlier this month.

Dr Bale was nominated for this award by the Australian Society of Anaesthetists and Pacific Society of Anaesthetists.

She will be presented with her award at the 17th World Congress of Anesthesiologists (WCA) in Prague in September 2021.

“It is with close teamwork and support from colleagues in Fiji and the Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand, and through their respective societies that I was able to get this recognition,” she added.

Dr Bale had spent 28 years working for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services before joining the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, formerly known as Fiji School of Medicine.

“I have worked with some amazing people here at the College, and this is something which I will cherish always,” she said proudly.

“To me, it is the laughter, and the friendship shared amongst my colleagues, lightening the intense but necessary heavy workload to achieve the highest standards in an outcome which, I believe, no title or money could pay for.”

“This has been a long but gratifying journey and, personally, an absolute privilege to have played a small part in the history of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences,” continued the outgoing senior academic.

Dr Bale was farewelled by staff at CMNHS earlier this month.