SUVA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Seventy-one free heart surgeries have been conducted on children mostly from rural Fiji, by the Sai Prema Foundation since their establishment in 2016.
Head Surgeon of Sanjeevani Hospital from India Ashish Katewa said Wednesday this year alone they have completed 17 heart surgeries for free for children.
Katewa said the youngest child among them is 3 months old while the eldest is 14.
They have also helped upskill Fijian doctors and nurses who were part of their team during their stay in Fiji, Katewa said, adding that these Fijian surgeons will be invited for training in hospitals in India.
Diagnosis was a challenge in Fiji because of the island nation's geographical location which is difficult for people to travel.
Fiji's Minister of Health and Medical Services Ifereimi Waqainabete said it has been a wonderful journey for the Fijian government and the Sai Prema Foundation where they have come and provided free operations for Fijian children.
He said Fiji was truly grateful to the work that is being done and also the aspirations of the Sai Prema Foundation in building a hospital that will look after children with heart defects.
Sai Prema Foundation Fiji is a non-government organisation founded to serve the poor and needy people of Fiji through Medicare, Educare and Sociocare initiatives.
