Sumintra Sundar is among 25 patients who recently benefited from a groundbreaking laser treatment for kidney stone removal at Labasa Hospital. The treatment, which spanned a week, was carried out by a medical team from Friends of Fiji Health (FOFH) from New Zealand.
The 60-year-old resident of Waidamudamu, Labasa, had been suffering from kidney stones since 2017. As a mother of three, she had been eagerly awaiting treatment from an overseas medical team, as such minimally invasive laser procedures were unavailable in Fiji’s public or private healthcare facilities. Previously, surgery for kidney stones in public hospitals required large incisions, but the collaboration with FOFH has enabled completely internal surgeries.
Ms. Sundar was the first patient in Fiji to undergo this innovative procedure, led by Dr. Imran Ali, the team leader. Following her surgery, she joyfully spent time with her grandchildren and husband, Ram Sundar, at home. “I am really thankful to FOFH for carrying out my surgery successfully,” expressed Ms. Sundar. She added, “I was afraid that the doctors might cut me open, but I was really pleased that the procedure involved no cuts at all.”
Dr. Ali, who identifies proudly as a son of Fiji, shared his excitement about being able to provide this procedure to everyday Fijians on behalf of FOFH. Established in July 2010, FOFH is a registered charity in New Zealand with the mission of assembling teams of specialists to deliver medical care to underserved communities in Fiji. Over a span of five days, the team conducted free surgeries for various patients.