Doctor Maryanne Korrai was honoured to be given an opportunity for a three months training course at Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital in Raipur, India.

In partnership with Sai Prema Foundation, Dr Korrai will be the first local doctor to be sent there for such training free of charge.

Paediatrics cardiothoracic surgeon and head surgeon of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital Dr Ashish Katewa said he was sure that Dr Korrai would return home well equipped after the course. 

He said they would also extend their offer to train surgeons and nurses if qualities could be identified.

Sai Prema Foundation’s medical co-ordinator Dr Krupali Tappoo said the model and aim of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital and their Foundation was to provide free services and free training.

“She is the first of many, and hopefully we will have more who will go to train and ultimately the solution is for Fiji to have its own Paediatrics unit in cases of emergencies,” Dr Tappoo said.

“It is achievable and that is what we are aiming for.

“Teams will continue to come, what we need to do is to discover the local talents and train them so that Fiji can have their own Paediatric Services.

“It is free.”

Dr Korrai said she was thankful for the opportunity and thanked everyone that were involved in it.

“It will not be easy to leave my four children and husband behind but it’s a small sacrifice to benefit Fiji as a whole,” she said.

“I thank God and the Sai Prema Foundation for their trust to invest in me by sponsoring my effort to go to Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital.

“It’s a big achievement and there are high expectations from my side to come back with sharper Echocardiography knowledge.”

She said it was also another challenge for her department because now they will have one person less. 

Dr Korrai leaves for India on Wednesday.

Edited by Mohammed Zulfikar

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