A 55-year-old father from Narere, Nasinu has received a renewed lease of life following a delicate open-heart surgery at the Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH) Hospitals in Nadi on Wednesday January 15.
Waisale Soqonakalou who is a staff officer in the human resources department at the Fiji Corrections Services in Suva was told by doctors last October to undergo a heart bypass surgery within six weeks’ time after he had suffered two heart attacks earlier on.
“Since last October I had been running after my health insurance company to identify the suitable hospital and get the necessary paperwork in place for me to undergo the treatment because doctors in Suva said a third heart attack would be fatal but the insurance company made it so difficult to move on and the six-week’s deadline lapsed,” Soqonakalou informed.
“It is at that point that we switched our life insurance cover provider and BSP Life came into the picture. Within a week, BSP Life organised everything for me and here I am at PSH Hospitals in Nadi recovering so well after my surgery,” Mr Soqonakalou added.
He said the management, specialist team of doctors and caring staff at PSH Hospitals have been nothing short of being his “angels” as they have all worked so hard to treat him and give him the best world-class service right here in Nadi.
“My heart also goes out to BSP Life and team for being at the top of the game and helping me with my operation in the quickest time frame possible. They even paid for the accommodation of my three sons who are all with me here in Nadi and resting at the Tokatoka Resort next door,” Mr Soqonakalou who is a widower and lost his wife in 2022 said.
“I am feeling so much better and I now have to look after myself and my diet for the sake of my boys as I want them to be successful in life.
“Looking after three boys without having my wife by my side is not an easy task and I pray to the Almighty to give me the strength and wisdom to carry on for the sake of my lovely children.”
Mr Soqonakalou said many people suffering from heart related diseases do not see Fiji as a capable place to receive treatment.
“With the type of service and world-class treatment that I have just received at PSH Hospitals, I want to tell everyone that the treatment and specialist doctors are available right here in Fiji and you don’t have to travel overseas and pay huge sums of money anymore,” Soqonakalou said.
“I place my full trust in them and my advice to all heart patients is to come and get treated here and don’t waste your time and money running overseas as PSH Hospitals is ready to take Fiji to greater heights in terms of medical services.”
Mr. Soqonakalou underwent a delicate procedure and received a triple graft heart bypass surgery carried out by a team of local and international specialists led by Dr Sanjeev Khulbey who is riding on the backs of thirty-years of experience as a cardiology surgeon.
Situated a stone’s throw away from the Nadi International Airport, PSH Hospitals has achieved a milestone by successfully executing back-to-back open-heart surgeries on three consecutive days from Monday January 13 to Wednesday January 15 while the first ever such procedure was executed in November last year.
Since November last year, the PSH Hospitals has given renewed leases of life to many heart patients who all were discharged within five-days of their delicate procedures by a team of highly trained and experienced cardio thoracic specialists.
The initial open-heart surgery in November also coincided with the setting up of the multi-million-dollar cardiology department and operations theatre which was a result of 15-months of meticulous planning and procurement of the most modern medical equipment from reliable sources across the world.
Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ratu Atonio Rabici Lalabalavu who visited the hospital on the evening of Wednesday January 15 soon after the completion of the open-heart surgery of the day was extremely impressed with the unprecedented achievement and record breaking milestone by the team of highly dedicated cardiology specialists at PSH Hospitals.
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Shalendra Prasad is a freelance photojournalist based in Nadi, Fiji
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