Sumintra Sundar is one of 25 patients who recently benefited from groundbreaking laser treatment for kidney stones at Labasa Hospital. The treatment was administered over the past week by a medical team from Friends of Fiji Health (FOFH) visiting from New Zealand.
At 60 years old, Sumintra from Waidamudamu, Labasa, had been living with kidney stones since 2017. She had been eagerly awaiting treatment by an overseas medical team, as such advanced laser surgery using flexible telescopic cameras is not available in either public or private hospitals in Fiji. Previously, surgeries in public hospitals required large incisions, but the new method introduced by FOFH allows for completely internal procedures.
Ms. Sundar was the first patient in Fiji to undergo this innovative treatment, led by Dr. Imran Ali. Following her successful surgery, she was seen enjoying time with her husband, Ram Sundar, and her grandchildren 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 offer such advanced medical care to everyday Fijians as part of FOFH’s mission. Established in July 2010, FOFH is a registered charity in New Zealand that aims to assemble teams of specialists to provide medical treatment to underserved communities in Fiji. Over five days, the team conducted free operations for those in need.