Six children currently in Fiji to undergo life-saving and life-changing heart surgery
Six children over the weekend have left for Fiji to embark on a life-saving and life-changing corrective heart surgery that was-made possible earlier this year by a Non-Government operated hospital the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s hospital in Suva, Fiji.
Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s hospital earlier this year sent an invitation to Solomon Islands and first eight children with congenital heart defects had successfully undertaken the cardiac surgery.
This month six children been identified and prior to their departure donations were made possible through their relatives, business houses, individuals and with support from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS).
Dr Titus Nasi, Head of Pediatric, National Referral Hospital (NRH) said the arrangement of sending these little children to Fiji is a way forward to give these children a second chance in life.
“If we correct them early will avoid the adult complications that will need more surgeries and it will be costly to send them overseas”, explained Dr Nasi.
He thanked the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s hospital for accepting the children over, and local business houses and individuals in the country and in Fiji for financially supporting the first eight children and now these six children in Fiji.
Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Pauline McNeil said while our country is embarking on the need to expand the provision of specialized clinical services, overseas medical referral (OMR) will continue to be a necessary component of our health systems.
“To now have a system in place especially for our young children to access specialized services abroad has been a long time coming, and we are grateful indeed to Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s hospital to giving space in accepting our children to access the specialized services in Fiji”, Mrs. McNeil said.
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-MHMS Press