FIJI will have kidney transplant surgery at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital by the middle of next year.
This was revealed by the Health Minister, Dr Neil Sharma yesterday during the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Health Ministry and Sahyadri Hospital of India.
Given the demand, specialised treatment in the areas of cardiology, neurology, spine and orthopaedic joint replacement will come to Fiji through a team from Sahyadri Hospital.
Dr Sharma said they would work in Fiji for the next seven years.
He said it was a milestone achievement not only for the ministry but for Fiji as a whole. He said the cost of taking patients abroad for medical treatment was $1.4million. However, he said this would be reduced as kidney transplant surgery would be conducted in Fiji.
Dr Sharma said despite the limited resources available in the country, they were optimistic their plans would go well.
"We will make sure that relatives provide kidneys and at the same time find solutions to these problems," he said.
Dr Charudutt Apte, Neurosurgeon, Director of Sahyadri Hospital said by mid 2013, they should be doing kidney transplants and also upgrade facilities to bring therapeutic healthcare in Fiji on par with international standard.