Sumintra Sundar is one of the 25 patients who recently underwent successful laser treatment for kidney stones at Labasa Hospital. This week-long initiative was conducted by a team from Friends of Fiji Health (FOFH) from New Zealand.
The 60-year-old resident of Waidamudamu, Labasa, had been suffering from kidney stones since 2017. As laser treatment and minimally invasive procedures using flexible telescopic cameras were not available in Fiji’s public or private hospitals, she had been eagerly awaiting help from an overseas medical team.
Previously, surgeries in public hospitals required large incisions, but thanks to FOFH, patients in Labasa now have access to completely internal surgical options. Ms. Sundar was the first patient in Fiji to receive this innovative treatment, conducted by team leader Dr. Imran Ali.
Post-surgery, she was seen enjoying quality time with her grandchildren and husband, Ram Sundar, expressing her gratitude: “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 shared his excitement, stating that he felt proud to offer this procedure to everyday Fijians on behalf of FOFH. Established in July 2010, FOFH is a New Zealand registered charity that aims to assemble specialist teams to provide medical care to underserved communities in Fiji. The team performed free operations over the course of five days.