Grandmother Amla Wati expresses her gratitude to the Friends of Fiji Health charitable organization from New Zealand for giving her a new lease on life following her operation on Wednesday.
Friends of Fiji Health consists of doctors, nurses, and support staff who have been performing complex surgeries at the Labasa Divisional Hospital since last Friday.
Ms. Wati, 62, from Korovatu, Labasa, had her gall bladder stone removed on Wednesday at the Labasa Divisional Hospital.
“I had been in pain for two months, and the news that an overseas team of medical experts was coming to do operations gave me hope,” Ms. Wati said. “I was scared about having the operation, but I am grateful to the team that carried it out. They were gentle and friendly. The team from overseas, along with local surgeons, did a really good job, and I feel healthy again.”
Ms. Wati underwent a two-hour operation and is currently recovering in the hospital.
“Following this successful operation, I can’t wait to share with my community how these wonderful doctors and others have medically transformed my life,” she said. “At this age, the cost of such operations is expensive, so I am thankful that the service was free of charge.”
“Any operation that assists people in alleviating their pain is an example of a good deed,” said Labasa Hospital Board of Visitors chairperson Hazeem Hussein.
Mr. Hussein praised the medical team members for sacrificing their time to help patients with complex surgeries and operations. The team is returning to New Zealand this week, and Mr. Hussein is hopeful there will be more visits from the NZ team in the future.