54 children have undertaken congenital heart disease surgeries since 2016 at no cost through the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Medical Centre.

Sai Prema Foundation Fiji coordinator, Dr Krupali Tappoo says collectively families of these young children saved approximately $5.4 million.

“Since its inception in 2016, over 4,000 patients have been served in the rural villages of Fiji through our Health on Wheels project where our Foundation, in conjunction with Ministry of Health, conducts regular medical camps by taking Fiji’s experienced medical professionals to the villages and giving quality healthcare to the villagers absolutely free of cost.”

Dr Tappoo says in 2016 and 2017, children in need of congenital heart disease treatment travelled to India for surgery.

However, last year for the first time, the Centre through its doctors screened all the children and performed cardiac interventional procedures in the Catheter lab at the CWM.

Dr Tappoo adds this was the first time that these procedures were performed in the South Pacific on children.