A Lautoka family is pleading for urgent intervention from the Ministry of Health and the management of Lautoka Aspen Hospital after a procedure to correct a dislocated hip allegedly resulted in a broken bone, leaving a 52-year-old woman bedridden.
Ashok Kumar spoke out regarding complications faced by his wife, Venda Wati, following her return from New Delhi, India, where she underwent a left total hip joint replacement (THJR) on September 26, 2025, to treat severe osteoarthritis.
Medical reports presented by the family state that Mrs Wati arrived at Lautoka Aspen Hospital on October 22 last year with a dislocated hip joint that had been out of place for approximately one week.
The following day, a gentle closed reduction procedure was attempted to relocate the joint. However, during the procedure, she sustained a Vancouver Type B periprosthetic fracture — a break in the bone around the implant.
Documentation submitted by Aspen Medical to the family confirmed that the treatment required could not be performed locally.
The family has also been in correspondence with the New Zealand-based Pasifika Medical Association Group (PMAG), which manages the New Zealand Medical Treatment Scheme (NZMTS) — a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) initiative providing healthcare to six Pacific nations, including Fiji.
According to the PMAG website, the scheme’s primary function is the Overseas Referral Scheme, which grants patients access to specialised treatments unavailable in their home countries after clearance by local medical committees.
Mr Kumar said PMAG requires formal verification from the Ministry of Health before they can proceed with the procedure in New Zealand.
While Aspen Medical noted a specialist would be available by late January, the family said they cannot endure the delay as Mrs Wati remains in constant pain.
Despite resubmitting all relevant documents to the Assistant Minister for Health on December 1, 2025, the family is yet to receive a response and is urgently requesting official confirmation to facilitate her immediate care.
“When I took my wife to Lautoka Hospital, it was only a dislocated hip,” Mr Kumar said.
“They said they would take her to the theatre and relocate it. When they did, on day four, we discovered the bone was broken.”
He added that while his wife was using a walker and able to care for herself before the procedure, she is now completely immobile.
“We cannot take her to the bathroom; we have to change her diaper and give her a sponge bath on the hospital bed that we bought for her.”
The family opted to take Mrs Wati home, hiring an ambulance for $275 after alleging that nurses were not tending to her as often as required.
Having already spent close to $50,000 on the initial surgery in India, the family now face costs exceeding $100,000 for accommodation and travel in New Zealand.
“It is a serious case; all we want is a response from the ministry.”
A spokesperson for Aspen Medical said a team is currently in discussion with Mrs Wati’s family.
“In line with our commitment to patient confidentiality, we do not discuss the specific details of any patient at any Aspen Medical-managed hospital in the media,” the spokesperson said.
Questions sent to Health and Medical Services Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu and the office of Assistant Minister Penioni Ravunawa remained unanswered.
