Litia Cava 
Dozens of children from Fiji and the Pacific will receive free life-saving heart surgeries later this month.
Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital will lead the mission from tomorrow to July 30 in Suva.
They will be working with the Pasifika Medical Association and New Zealand’s Hearts4Kids Foundation.
A team of 35 volunteer doctors, nurses and technicians will carry out surgeries for children from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Hospital Director Dr Krupali Tappoo states no child in the Pacific should suffer or die because they can’t access life-saving treatment.
She said the mission was a gift of life built on love and service.
The visiting team will be led by Dr Kirsten Finucane, former head of Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Auckland’s Starship Hospital.
She adds the goal is to treat more children and support local staff for long-term results.
Dr Finucane said their focus was on building capacity and ensuring equal access to healthcare. She says helping others through service gives life meaning.
The hospital has so far carried out over 378 free heart surgeries for children in the region.
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