Sumintra Sundar was one of 25 patients who were recently given a new opportunity for better health after undergoing successful laser treatment for kidney stones at Labasa Hospital. This week-long medical intervention was carried out by a team from Friends of Fiji Health (FOFH) visiting from New Zealand.
The 60-year-old resident of Waidamudamu, Labasa, had been dealing with kidney stones since 2017. As a mother of three, she had long awaited the opportunity to receive treatment from an overseas medical team, as laser treatment for kidney stones is not accessible in either public or private hospitals in Fiji. Previously, surgeries in public hospitals required larger incisions, but the recent advancements introduced at Labasa by FOFH provided a completely internal surgery option.
Ms. Sundar was the first patient in Fiji to undergo this procedure, led by Dr. Imran Ali, the team’s leader. Post-surgery, she expressed her joy, spending quality time with her grandchildren and husband Ram Sundar at home. “I am really thankful to FOFH for carrying out my surgery successfully,” she stated. “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 expressed pride in being able to offer such innovative procedures to everyday Fijians, a sentiment shared by Ms. Sundar. FOFH is a registered charity in New Zealand established in July 2010, dedicated to forming teams of specialists to deliver medical care to underserved communities in Fiji. The team performed free operations over the course of five days.