Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital is humbled to announce its next round of free heart surgeries for children with congenital heart disease, scheduled from February 11th to 18th, 2025. This initiative aims to provide critical medical care to children from Fiji and neighbouring Pacific islands. Leading this life-saving mission is Professor Laszlo Kiraly, an acclaimed pediatric cardiac surgeon from the National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore. He will be joined by a 22 member team comprising specialist medical professionals from NUH, a cardiologist from Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital Palwal, India, and skilled pediatric ICU nurses from Australia. This marks Professor Kiraly’s third visit to Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital, following successful missions in July 2023 and September 2022, during which he and his team performed numerous critical surgeries for children in need. Expressing her appreciation, Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital Director Dr. Krupali Tappoo stated, “We are deeply thankful to have Professor Kiraly and his exceptional team return to Fiji to perform these life-saving surgeries. Their efforts bring hope to families in Fiji and across the The initiative is supported by the National University Hospital Singapore and the Ministry of Health Fiji, which is providing local medical personnel to collaborate during the surgeries. Remarkable Milestones To date, Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital has achieved significant milestones, including: • Successfully performing 351 free heart surgeries. • Conducting over 26,922 free echocardiograms through its screening centre and outreach Dr. Tappoo further highlighted, “Our team has carried out extensive heart screenings across Fiji, including in remote areas like Kadavu, and recently extended our efforts to Kiribati. These screenings are essential for early detection and timely intervention. She reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment, stating, “We will continue providing free heart screenings throughout Fiji and the Pacific Islands, ensuring that every child needing surgery receives appropriate care and follow-up treatment.” This mission is a testament to Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital’s unwavering dedication to enhancing children’s heart health and offering a brighter future to families in need. Feedback: editorial@fijisun.com.fj