Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum must “come clean” on open heart surgeries at the Lautoka Hospital, says National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad.
“We need honest answers to these legitimate questions to determine whether the start of open heart surgeries as claimed by Mr Sayed-Khaiyum is a permanent service or a political gimmick for optics only,” he said.
Professor Prasad was responding to attacks from Mr Sayed-Khaiyum at a weekend news conference where he claimed that NFP and The Fiji Times had not fairly commented on the issue.
“Biman Prasad went and attacked us,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“They said, “Oh, where’s the open heart surgery?
“The Fiji Times and CFL (Communications Fiji Ltd) all ran with it, not wanting to hear our side of the story and what we have said was the reason.
“For the past couple of weeks, open heart surgeries have been happening in Lautoka but have they reported on it?
“Has Biman Prasad had the integrity to say ‘I acknowledge now it’s happening’?”
In response, Prof Prasad said the people of Fiji, particularly those waiting for months to benefit from this service, had a right to know whether heart surgeries and other associated diagnostic treatment at the Lautoka Hospital “is happening 24/7 as announced by government in March 2022”.
“Simply, the start of this life-saving medical procedure raises many questions that need honest answers. Government must reveal whether heart surgeons and cardiac specialists have been recruited by Aspen Medical on a full-time basis or are overseas based and only based here temporarily or whether Aspen has negotiated a deal with (Indian medical services provider) MIOT to provide this service?” he said.
Prof Prasad said they also needed to know whether specialist operating theatres and catheterisation labs were established on a permanent basis or temporarily set up.
On Mr Sayed-Khaiyum’s claim that The Fiji Times did not publish the successful open heart surgeries at the Lautoka Hospital, The Fiji Times editor-in-chief Fred Wesley said: “The article appeared on October 20 in the newspaper, and went online, and we would also like to point out that he has been given every opportunity to respond to queries raised by the Opposition about the start of open heart surgery at the Lautoka Hospital, but has chosen not to do so.”
AT A GLANCE
The Fiji Times has been accused of not fairly covering the open heart surgery issue.
Here are the facts:
- March 25, 2022: Mr Sayed-Khaiyum announces during budget speech that open heart surgeries will begin at the Lautoka Hospital from early May;
- August 12, 2022: The Fiji Times quotes Aspen Hospital saying “open heart surgery services at the Lautoka Hospital are expected to begin this month”.
- August 20, 2022: The Fiji Times reports Aspen Medical CEO Annette Owttrim saying open heart surgeries will begin at the Lautoka Hospital before the end of August;
- September 3, 2022:The Fiji Times reports Aspen Medical saying that open heart surgeries would start at the end of August while the Health Minister has told Parliament surgeries would start at the end of September;
- September 3, 2022: The Fiji Times reports Opposition Whip Ro Filipe Tuisawau criticising constantly shifting dates for open heart surgeries at the Lautoka Hospital;
- October 11, 2022: The Fiji Times reports that the fourth date set for operations to begin had passed;
- October 20, 2022: The Fiji Times publishes Page 3 story of two Fijians in their 50s undergoing open heart surgery at the Lautoka Hospital. It goes online as well.
