Thank you so much for saving me, says an emotional 10 year-old Sejal Raj.

Sejal was the first heart patient to be operated on at the new Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital in Suva on Saturday.

Her operation was free of charge.

In 2019, through a screening consultation at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Medical Centre, a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) was identified in her heart.

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a persistent opening between the two major blood vessels leading from the heart.

The opening (ductus arteriosus) is a normal part of a baby’s circulatory system in the womb that usually closes shortly after birth.

If it remains open, it’s called a patent ductus arteriosus.

Sejal’s parents could not contain their emotions yesterday after their daughter was discharged from hospital following the successful operation.

Mother, Shubila Wati said it was a burden off their shoulders and she could not thank the hospital enough for the successful treatment of her daughter.

At first, she was nervous about the operation, but it was a decision she would never regret.

“I really didn’t know how to react when we were informed by the doctors of her condition,” she said.

“I did not know what would happen because it was the first time we heard of this as she was a normal child growing up.”

“We could only hope that everything went well with her.”

“If it was not for the screening that was done here, we wouldn’t have been able to identify the sickness that she had.”

She said they were lucky to be among the first batch of patients operated in the new hospital.

“A very big thank you to Mr and Mrs Tappoo for this hospital.”

She added that they would have been running around looking for funds to send her daughter overseas if it wasn’t for the hospital.

Sejal was operated on by the team on Saturday morning and was fit to be discharged yesterday.

Sejal Raj, 10, with the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital director Dr Krupali Tappoo and Sai Prema Fiji Foundation director v before she was discharged from the hospital in Suva on May 1, 2022. Photo: Inoke Rabonu

Hospital Director
Hospital director Dr Krupali Tappoo said a team of 21 was in the country and it was hoping to operate on 30 patients by May 8.

The team is led by Dr Shaun Setty of Miller Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.

“They have done a great job,” she said.

“Most of our team members are from the US, we have some nurses from Australia and a doctor from Oman.”

“We also have local nurses and medical professionals who are here to observe and learn as much as they can from these professionals.”

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