Sumintra Sundar was one of the 25 patients who recently benefited from a life-changing laser kidney stone removal procedure at Labasa Hospital. The treatment, which took place over a week, was carried out by a team from Friends of Fiji Health (FOFH) from New Zealand.
The 60-year-old woman from Waidamudamu, Labasa, had been suffering from kidney stones since 2017. As a mother of three, she had been anxiously awaiting treatment, as laser surgery and minimally invasive techniques are not offered in public or private hospitals in Fiji.
Previously, surgery for kidney stones was performed with large incisions in public hospitals, but with the assistance of FOFH, Labasa Hospital now provides entirely internal procedures. Ms. Sundar was the first patient in Fiji to undergo this innovative technique, led by Dr. Imran Ali, the team leader.
Following the successful surgery, she was seen joyfully spending time with her grandchildren and husband, Ram Sundar. “I am really thankful to FOFH for carrying out my surgery successfully,” Ms. Sundar expressed. 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 shared his pride in being able to offer this procedure to everyday Fijians through FOFH. Established in July 2010, FOFH is a charitable organization from New Zealand that organizes teams of specialists to provide medical care to underserved communities in Fiji. The team performed free surgeries over a span of five days.