Over 394 patients have benefited from services provided by a surgical team that has been visiting Fiji annually since 2016.
The surgical team primarily travels to Fiji from New Zealand to repair damaged hearts of babies and children.
According to Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation who support the surgical team, 135 patients were seen in pre‑assessment clinics for adult open heart surgery in Suva and Lautoka.
Meanwhile, a surgical team from New Zealand is currently in Fiji to repair the damaged hearts of 20 babies and children.
Cardiac surgeon Dr Kirsten Finucane from Auckland's Starship Hospital heads the team of 30 nurses and doctors who will operate alongside local staff to improve the lives of the children.
Dr Finucane says some children were born with heart defects that could be surgically repaired and completely cured adding that others with hearts damaged by rheumatic fever had more complex issues and were harder to help with surgery alone.
She had earlier stated that the team performed 19 surgeries and provided almost all the equipment needed for the operations, including the drugs in 2017.
