Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH) plans to establish a DNA library to store samples for future use. This was announced by Parvish Kumar, PSH director and CEO, at the fifth MultiDisciplinary (Pacific) Conference held at the Crowne Plaza Fiji, Nadi Bay Resort & Spa in Nadi.
“We are also planning to set up a DNA library. What we are trying to do is, when babies are born, we ask for the parents’ consent and take samples of their umbilical cords to store in the lab,” said Kumar. “In the future, if parents or anyone need samples of the child’s DNA, it will be available in Fiji.”
Kumar also mentioned that in the next two to three weeks, they will begin open-heart surgical procedures. “Our entire open-heart surgical team is already in Fiji. They have been conducting revital exercises and testing all the systems. We plan to start open-heart surgeries around August 2-13. After all these services are available in Fiji, Pacific islanders will not need to go elsewhere. If there is another pandemic and border lockdowns, our patients can access such services in Fiji.”
Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH) is located in Legalega, opposite Nadi International Airport. It is the largest private hospital in the South Pacific.