Internationally renowned cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, Dr Sanjeev Kumar Khulbey. (Far right) [Photo: FILE]

Internationally renowned cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon Sanjeev Kumar Khulbey says the rising burden of heart disease across Fiji and the wider Pacific, and the hardship faced by families forced to seek treatment overseas, drove his decision to begin performing open-heart surgeries locally.

Dr Khulbey, who is based at Pacific Specialist Healthcare, says he has spent more than 15 years travelling across Fiji and other Pacific nations, including Samoa and Tonga, assessing cardiac patients, repeatedly witnessing critical gaps in specialist heart care services.

He says cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death in the region, with an urgent need to bring advanced cardiac surgery closer to home rather than relying on overseas referrals.

Dr Khulbey says the commitment by PSH Hospitals to develop world-class facilities in Fiji was a turning point, encouraging him to begin performing complex open-heart procedures locally.

He says the response from patients and families has been overwhelming, with many now accessing treatment in Fiji instead of travelling abroad.

According to Dr Khulbey, families previously had to rely on public fundraising drives, church collections, donations and community events to afford overseas surgery, often under intense emotional pressure and uncertainty over outcomes.

He says that burden has now significantly reduced, with patients able to remain close to their families while receiving life-saving treatment at home.

“See, having a big surgery, suppose you are having a big surgery, and you are at your home, your relatives, your family members, your friends, everybody is there. You know, you are surrounded by people. The emotional aspect of any procedure, which, you know, helps in the healing of the patients, is really, really missing.”

Dr Khulbey adds that patients are now travelling to Fiji not only from across the country, but also from other Pacific islands, including the Solomon Islands, for specialised cardiac care.

Meanwhile, Director of Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital, Krupali Tappoo, says the facility has transformed children’s heart care in Fiji and the Pacific over the past four years.

She says since opening, the hospital has successfully carried out numerous life-saving surgeries with visiting international medical teams from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Dr Tappoo also highlighted the recent opening of the hospital’s catheterisation laboratory, inaugurated by the President of Fiji, calling it a major milestone in expanding advanced cardiac services locally.

She says the first international cardiologist to perform catheterisation procedures at the facility came from New Zealand’s Starship Hospital, marking another step forward in building sustainable, world-class heart care capacity in Fiji and the Pacific.