MORE than 16,000 free heart screenings and 260 heart surgeries for children in Fiji and the region were conducted at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital over the past two years.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said this during the second anniversary celebration of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital at the Suva Civic Centre last night.
Mr Rabuka said the hospital was truly a God-sent to Fiji and the region, a dream — given Fiji’s economic challenges.
He extended his gratitude to the doctors from overseas, who have conducted surgeries at the hospital, the hospital’s founder and board, and labelled it a hub of paediatric care for the region.
Mr Rabuka urged families to take their children for free screening at the hospital which is based in Nasese, Suva.
Hospital director Dr Krupali Tappoo said they were blessed to operate on children whose “hearts have been saved” by medical professionals at the hospital over the past two years.
The $25million hospital was officially inaugurated on April 24, 2022 — making it the South Pacific’s first state-of-the-art paediatric cardiac facility where all surgeries and treatments are free.
The Sai Prema Foundation has created a world-class facility with the aim of providing the best possible surgery and treatment to the children of Fiji and the Pacific.
As of last month, 13,328 lives had been saved through blood collection drives conducted by the hospital across Fiji.Ho
