Sumintra Sundar is one of 25 patients who recently underwent successful laser treatment for kidney stones at Labasa Hospital, gaining a new lease on life. This treatment was part of a week-long program conducted 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 and had been awaiting treatment from an overseas medical team, as laser procedures and minimally invasive flexible telescopic camera surgeries are not currently offered in either public or private hospitals in Fiji. Traditionally, surgery for kidney stones in public hospitals involved larger incisions, but the FOFH initiative provided a completely internal surgical option at Labasa.
Ms. Sundar was the first patient in Fiji to receive this pioneering procedure, led by Dr. Imran Ali, the team leader. After the surgery, she spent quality time with her grandchildren and her husband, Ram Sundar, at home. Expressing her gratitude, Ms. Sundar stated, “I am really thankful to FOFH for carrying out my surgery successfully.” She also remarked on her initial fears regarding traditional surgery, saying, “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 as a Fijian and his excitement to offer this advanced surgical option to everyday Fijians through the efforts of FOFH. Established in July 2010, FOFH is a registered charity organization in New Zealand that aims to create teams of specialists who travel to Fiji to provide medical assistance to underserved communities. Over the course of five days, the medical team conducted free surgeries for those in need.