Sumintra Sundar was one of 25 patients who recently underwent successful laser treatment for kidney stones at Labasa Hospital. This innovative procedure 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 dealing with kidney stones since 2017. She had been anticipating a visit from an overseas medical team, as laser treatment for kidney stones is not offered in either public or private hospitals in Fiji. Previously, surgeries in public hospitals required significant incisions, whereas the new method performed at Labasa allows for completely internal surgery.
Ms. Sundar was the first patient in Fiji to undergo this pioneering procedure, led by Dr. Imran Ali. Following her surgery, she spent quality time with her grandchildren and husband, Ram Sundar, at home. Expressing her gratitude, Ms. Sundar stated, “I am really thankful to FOFH for carrying out my surgery successfully. 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 his pride in being able to provide this service to the people of Fiji on behalf of FOFH. The charity organization, registered in New Zealand, was founded in July 2010 with the mission to assemble teams of specialists to deliver medical care to underserved communities in Fiji. The team completed free operations over the course of five days.