The management at Fiji’s largest state-of-the-art specialty private hospital, Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH Hospitals), has expressed gratitude towards Fiji Airways for launching direct flights from Cairns, Australia to Nadi, starting April 10, 2025. This development is expected to greatly enhance medical tourism in Fiji.
PSH Hospitals, strategically located near Nadi International Airport, aligns with the Fijian government’s vision to establish the country as a leading destination for medical tourism. Parvish Kumar, the founder and CEO of PSH, stated, “We share a common vision with the government and have started working towards achieving our goals of turning Fiji into an attractive destination for tourists who want to travel for health reasons.”
The new flight service, operating three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, will allow for quick access to exceptional medical services for Australian visitors, who are typically the largest group of tourists to Fiji. Australians enjoy the benefit of not needing a visa for stays under four months, which makes traveling for medical care more feasible.
Kumar emphasized the cost savings of medical procedures at PSH, noting that heart bypass surgery—which can cost around $100,000 in Australia—can be performed for a fraction of that cost in Fiji. This affordability is particularly pressing given the high rates of cardiovascular disease in Australia, which is the leading cause of death, accounting for one in every four fatalities.
Richard Barker, the CEO of Cairns Airport, praised the new route, indicating that it not only strengthens medical tourism but also opens opportunities for leisure travel and family visits, facilitated by Fiji Airways’ Oneworld membership, which broadens travel options across North America.
This promising initiative not only indicates a boom in medical tourism for Fiji, but it also suggests a thriving future for both the healthcare sector and the tourism industry, potentially improving the health outcomes for Australians while boosting the local economy. As Fiji positions itself as a vital healthcare hub in the South Pacific, it offers a beautiful environment combined with access to essential medical services, showcasing a bright future for medical tourism in the region.
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