Doctors at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital had to seek a court order last week, to save four-year-old girl Sera Rosi Ratu as her parent's religious beliefs had not allowed the medical team for a blood transfusion.
"That was the only hope of saving the girl because the parents were not consenting to a blood transfusion" said Health spokesman Iliesa Tora
Sera's parents belong to the Christian denomination, Jehovah's Witness and believe that the Bible prohibits ingesting blood, and that this includes the storage and transfusion of blood, including in cases of medical emergency.
Sera is said to be recovering well at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital after the court ordered that she should be provided blood transfusion.
CWM Hospital Medical Superintendent Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete took the matter to court through the Attorney General's Office.
Justice William Calanchini ordered that the CWM Hospital Medical Superintendent is at liberty to provide blood transfusion and such other medical or surgical procedure or treatment as may be necessary to the four year old girl.
Doctor Waqainabete later met with the girls parents after the transfusion last Friday and said everything was in good terms.
The Jehovah's Witnesses of Fiji have refused to comment on the matter.
This belief was introduced in 1945, and has been elaborated upon since then. Accordingly, the organization has established 'Hospital Information Services' responsible for education and facilitation of bloodless surgery. This service also maintains 'Hospital Liaison Committees', whose function is to provide support to adherents.
Although accepted by the majority of Jehovah's Witnesses, a minority does not wholly endorse this doctrine.
Based on their interpretation of various biblical texts, such as Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:10, and Acts 15:29, they believe:
Blood is sacred to God.
Blood means life in God's eyes.
Blood must not be eaten or transfused.
Blood leaving the body of a human or animal must be disposed of, except for autologous blood transfusions considered part of a "current therapy".
Blood was reserved for only one special use, the atonement for sins, which led up to Jesus' shed blood.
Conscientious violation of this doctrine is considered a serious offense, after which a member is subject to organized shunning.
Mr Tora said "the girl was a minor and her parents as guardians had the legal right to say no to the transfusion, however, being a matter of life and death, the doctors took the necessary step to save the girl."
He added that Sera was suffering from leukemia.
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of blood cells, usually white blood cells.
