The Director of the Sai Prema Foundation Fiji Summet Tappoo says 60 children need heart surgery and 15 of the children are in critical condition.
Tappoo says these cases were identified through the screening done at their screening centre.
He says they have faced difficulties because of COVID-19 as there are delays in the opening of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children's Heart Hospital where these children were supposed to be operated.
The Director had earlier highlighted that the services provided at the hospital will be free of charge and the hospital will not have a billing counter.
Tappoo says the hospital was supposed to be open in April this year but they have not been able to get specialist equipment or the installers into the country.
He says there is a great need for this hospital in Fiji.
Tappoo says the other option for these children is to go overseas and get a $100,000 operation.
He says only 10 percent of the children will be able to afford these operations and there will be no option for others.
