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25 March, 2026, 10:23 am
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25 March, 2026, 10:23 am Central - 29°C Rain

More children to receive free life-saving open-heart surgeries
20-member team of surgeons, doctors and specialists are in the country to conduct free surgeries at the hospital

More children to receive free life-saving open-heart surgeries

20-member team of surgeons, doctors and specialists are in the country to conduct free surgeries at the hospital

By Navitalai Naivalurua
25/11/2023

Good news for children in Fiji and the South Pacific as they are expected to receive a new gift of life as a 20-member team of surgeons, doctors and specialists from the Czech Republic, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and Australia are in the country to conduct free life-saving open-heart surgeries at the Sai Sanjeevani Children's Hospital in Suva.

Hospital Director Dr Krupali Tappoo says the hospital is grateful to the Healing Little Hearts Global Foundation for supporting this visit and helping the hospital achieve its mission of ensuring that every child born with a heart defect is given a “Gift of Life” and that no child is left behind.

Tappoo says they are incredibly grateful to leading Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Roman Gebauer from University Hospital Motol in Prague, and his entire team for sacrificing their time to come to Fiji to operate on our children.

She adds Fiji is so blessed to have such an experienced and skilled team here.

The Hospital Director says the team’s two-week visit will save the lives of many children who otherwise have no other means of treatment.

The Hospital says since the official inauguration in April 2022, the Sai Sanjeevani Children's Hospital has saved the lives of 246 children and has conducted thousands of Echocardiograms - all completely free of cost.

They say this would not have been possible without the support of visiting teams from around the world, including the USA, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and India and organizations such as Health in Kind Australia, Hearts4Kids New Zealand, National University Hospital Singapore and Sanjeevani Hospitals India.

Dr Tappo says they are committed to saving the lives of more children in Fiji and the Pacific, and they invite everyone to join them in ensuring that our future generations are given the “Gift of Life” that they deserve.

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