New bus boosts Fiji’s pediatric heart care services

The Sai Prema Foundation and Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital in Suva received a boost today with the donation of a new 35-seater bus.

This is to help improve healthcare services for children with heart diseases.

The donation made by the Swire Shipping Limited was described as “lifesaving” for children across Fiji.

Company general manager Alex Patterson said the support would strengthen the hospital’s heart-screening programmes, rural medical outreach, and transportation of international specialists who travel to Fiji to perform life changing heart surgeries on children.

Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Fiji director Dr Krupali Tappoo commended the support.

“This bus is really going to help us with transporting all our visiting specialists who perform surgeries at our hospital,” she said.

“These are incredible surgeons from around the world who come to help our children with heart issues in Fiji.”

The bus will also be used to support heart screening campaigns and Health on Wheels rural outreach programmes, helping medical teams reach remote villages for screenings and assessments.

“We do Health on Wheels outreach camps and take medical professionals into rural communities, so this bus will really help us. We are sincerely and very grateful to Swire Shipping for thinking of our children and partnering with us.”

Mr Patterson said the partnership had been developing for more than 18 months following a visit to the facility. 

“We discussed challenges, including transport for medical teams, and we said, ‘Why don’t we get involved and get a bus for you?’” he said.

“We are proud to be associated with Sai Prema Foundation. What you’ve done with 400 kids and all the screenings you should be very proud.”

The Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital continues to serve as Fiji’s only dedicated pediatric cardiac facility, providing free heart surgeries and screenings for children across the region.  

The Sai Prema Foundation TP and the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital have successfully treated 400 children with congenital heart conditions, marking a significant milestone in Fiji’s child health sector.

The hospital, which works with international volunteer specialists, provides free cardiac surgeries and procedures for children from across Fiji.

The Foundation also conducts nationwide screenings to identify heart conditions early. 

The organisation said it would continue to expand its outreach and strengthen partnerships to ensure more children with heart conditions received the care they needed.