Twenty children have a new lease on life thanks to free heart surgeries performed on children with congenital heart disease at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital last week.
A visiting team of 21 doctors, who conducted the operations, was led by paediatric cardio surgeon Dr Shaun Shetty who was on his fourth trip to Fiji.
The youngest patient was a four-month-old baby while the oldest patient was a 23-year-old boy.
Speaking to the media yesterday, Dr Shetty said all the surgeries were successful and the children were recovering well.
“There was complexity with children who were very sick and needed surgeries done,” he said.
“We had an international team of doctors coming from Australia, New Zealand, Oman and the United States.”
Dr Shetty said the trip was special because children from other Pacific island countries, particularly the Solomon Islands and Kiribati had surgery as well.
“It was nice to see heart surgeries offered to other Pacific countries and not only Fiji.
“Four children were from Kiribati and nine from Solomon Island were operated on as well.”
Hospital director Dr Krupali Tappoo said they hoped to have more children from Pacific island countries travelling for surgeries at the hospital.
“It’s amazing that the word is spreading,” she said.
“The surgeries are free and the medical team they volunteer their time and don’t pay anything to come to Fiji.
“As a hospital, we provide free surgeries and while the parent and child stay here they get free meals — six meals a day and we look after their laundry and all their needs. Everything is done with compassion and love is the biggest essence in this hospital.”
