The demand for urology services is increasing in Fiji and this was a reason why Dr Parneet Harish chose to become an urologist.

Urology is a part of health care that deals with diseases of the male and female urinary tract.

The former Natabua High School student is a senior registrar at the Urology Department of the Colonial War Memorial Hospital. He said there were currently two qualified urologists in Fiji to cater for the growing population.

“More specialists are needed.”

“Men have a very different approach to health.”

“They don’t want to talk about their health, they won’t come out openly about what is happening to them. Most of our clientele are old men, so being a male in this department actually helps them to come and open up.”

“I have xpeciences with a lot of them who have difficulty opening up to a female doctor or a doctor with whom they are not comfortable.”

He said urology was a field that not many wanted to join because it was somewhat like a plumbing work.

“This is a field a lot of people do not want to join.

“We do the plumbing work. We are in charge of the kidneys and bladder, and we ensure that the plumbing is all good.

“And a lot of people do not want to do this plumbing work,” he said. After completing his high school, Dr Harish got a scholarship to study at the University of Fiji.

“I was a pioneer medical student at University of Fiji. I was part of the first lot that graduated.

“After that I worked in the surgical department for the past seven years, and I graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in surgery in 2020.

“I’m pursuing two masters. One is Master of General Surgery from Fiji National University and the other is Masters of Urology from University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

“Achieving this goal is going to give me an upper hand to getting registered as a specialist urologist. I’m currently in my final year for both,” he said.

Dr Harish is from a teaching background.

“My parents were both teachers and most of my family members are teachers.

“I also love to teach. This is the other thing that I love to do.”