Tappoo: Successful Surgeries On Children Make Doctors, Foundation Team Superstars
They have made a difference in the families of Fiji by saving the lives of those children, he adds.
The real hero and superstars are the surgeons, doctors and their team says Sai Prema Foundation director Sumeet Tappoo.
He made the remark during a dinner hosted by the Indian High Commission for members of the foundation team who have been conducting successful heart surgeries on children.
Mr Tappoo said members of the team were delighted to have the opportunity to be able to make a difference in someone’s life.
“The foundation was formed primarily to serve the poor and needy people of Fiji,” Mr Tappoo said.
“We have a lot of projects under the foundation and one of it is the heart surgery for the children.
“The foundation had identified the need in the society that approximately 200 children born in Fiji every year have congenital heart disease.”
Congenital heart disease is a problem in the structure of the heart that is present at birth. Symptoms can vary from none to life threatening. When present they may include rapid breathing, bluish skin, poor weight gain, and feeling tired.
Complications that can result from heart defects include heart failure. The cause of a congenital heart defect is often unknown.
Certain cases may be due to infections during pregnancy such as rubella, use of certain medications or drugs such as alcohol or tobacco, parents being closely related, or poor nutritional status or obesity in the mother.
Mr Tappoo said: “The children and their family who are not able to afford the overseas treatment lose their lives.
“There are two aspects to the issue. One is the unavailability of professional services and secondly the families not being able to afford overseas treatment for their children.
“That is where the Sai Prema Foundation comes in to help those families to have the surgeries done in Fiji.
“The real superstars are the doctors and their teams who have worked hard to conduct successful surgeries for the children.
“They have made a difference in the families of Fiji by saving the lives of those children,” Mr Tappoo said.
Edited by Percy Kean
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