Overseas Treatment Now at New Kidney Hub in Nadi
The setting up of a state-ofthe-art Kidney Hub Specialty Hospital will provide home, love and care for patients in the Western Division.
Kidney Foundation of Fiji director and Fiji National University associate professor of medicine, Dr Joji Malani, made those remarks while officiating at the new facility located at Lot 1 Fantasy Road, in Nadi on Saturday.
He said the opening of the second Kidney Hub in the country by Dr Amrish Krishnan and his team gives us an opportunity to reflect on the huge challenges and the monstrous task of where he has come from and where he continues to progress in this ever-challenging world of NCD, diabetes, climate change and now COVID-19.
“He is not working in isolation, but providing a lifesaving service within a complicated web of limited resources, limited manpower, limited support and importantly limited financial support,” Dr Malani said.
“We know in healthcare that it is not only the building that is important, but the services it provides, the satisfaction it fulfills, the humanisation of medicine and importantly, the prolongation of life.”
The Kidney Hub centre has:
■ two wards (three beds and t beds), three private rooms
■ A main dialysis room for 10-12 dialysis stations
A procedure room, a triage, a biomed engineering room
Specialist Nephrologist Dr Amrish Krishnan said it was his passion to make medical service accessible to people and it was his dream to bring a high quality dialysis unit in the west.
He added this was for his patients based in the Western Division and he thanked the Fijian Government.
“For many years I saw patients suffer from kidney failure and not being able to access treatment. They wanted to live but did not have the means to pay for the dialysis. With the Government subsidy that comes to effect now so many people can live longer,” he said.
“We are in the public system now and dialysis is completely free also in private where the Government meets a significant portion of the cost and we are very grateful for the Government to make that decision.”
He said the investment to this project was close to $1million.
The centre employs three nurses, three technicians, four administrative staff and a doctor.
Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort manager Chris Hamilton said that it was inspiring to see the hope and optimism that came with the opening of the Hub.
“As part of the tourism industry and private sector in Fiji it is encouraging to see this continual improvement in the health services offered across the country,” he said.
“This will not only serve the people of Fiji but also gives confidence to those traveling from abroad that we can offer medical support and services as needed when they visit our shores.
“In this way it helps to contribute to the prosperity derived from the tourism industry,” he said.
Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Dr Ram Raju said treatment only available overseas had now been brought closer to home.
“So many of our patients have been going to Australia and India for dialysis and the transplant. We have brought everything to Fiji now,” he said.
“This is one of the first hospitals in Fiji for the western side. This hub is amazing and it is impressively set up.”