Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH) is planning to establish a DNA library to store samples for future use.
This was disclosed by PSH director and CEO, Parvish Kumar, in Nadi yesterday during the fifth MultiDisciplinary (Pacific) Conference held at the Crowne Plaza Fiji, Nadi Bay Resort & Spa.
“We are also planning to set up a DNA library. What we are trying to do is, when babies are born, we ask for the parents’ consent to take a sample of their umbilical cords and store them in the lab,” Mr. Kumar said.
“In the future, if parents or anyone need samples of the child’s DNA, it will be available in Fiji,” he added.
He mentioned that open-heart surgical procedures are also set to commence within the next two to three weeks.
“Currently, our entire open-heart surgical team is already in Fiji. They have been conducting revitalization exercises and testing all the systems. We are planning to release open-heart surgeries around August 2-13.
“After all these services become available in Fiji, Pacific islanders will not need to travel elsewhere. If there is another pandemic and border lockdowns, our patients can access such services in Fiji,” he added.
Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH) is located in Legalega, opposite the Nadi International Airport. It is the largest private hospital in the South Pacific.