THE Sai Prema Foundation is experiencing a significant rise in the number of heart surgeries performed.
Hospital director Krupali Tappoo said 332 surgeries were conducted from April 2022 to September 2024.
She said this trend reflected an increasing number of children seeking surgical intervention each month.
“There are hundreds of undetected cases of heart defects out there in the Pacific, here even in Fiji,” Ms Tappoo said.
“We have been operating for two years, and it was only recently when we conducted screenings that we saw the number rise.
“We’re seeing that there’s more awareness and we’re doing a lot of screening.”
She explained the increase in awareness and ongoing screening efforts were key factors driving this trend.
She urged parents to take advantage of free screenings at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Screening Centre.
“It’s better to operate on your child at an age where the condition isn’t as severe.
“Don’t wait for things to escalate, come now.”
The hospital has also extended its reach to children from other Pacific nations, including Samoa, and collaborates with the New Zealand Starship team and the Pacifica Medical Association for additional support.
As part of World Heart Day, the team will travel to Bua to assist the Ministry of Health in screening efforts.
