Chandra’s significant impact on Fiji’s healthcare sector
MEET Arveen Chandra, the driving force behind healthcare innovation in Fiji, serving as the scientist and Director of VanMed Labs.
After graduating from the Fiji School of Medicine in 1999, he worked in Labasa, Taveuni, and CWM Hospital before venturing into the private lab sector in 2005. Mr Chandra founded VanMed Labs on September 30, 2010, in Labasa, expanding to two testing labs with plans for opening another lab soon in Wailevu, Labasa and he has 11 bleeding centres across Fiji. VanMed Labs is also an associate sponsor of the upcoming MSME Conference.
“In March, we’re opening our first Medical Centre — DSM Wailevu Centre in Labasa, offering comprehensive services including X-ray, Scan, full lab, and doctors. We have a Doppler
scan, and we will focus a lot on Diabetic Wound Management among other Medical Centre work,” he said.
With about 20 employees, 80 per cent of whom are female, VanMed’s presence spans various locations in Fiji, including Nadi, Suva, Sigatoka, Lautoka, and Ba, with DSM Wailevu Medical Centre as a franchise from DSM Nadi, owned by Dr Ram Raju.
“In the early stages of my business, I was honoured to receive the FDB award,” he said.
On the MSME conference, he expressed enthusiasm about gaining insights into various industries and investment opportunities.
“Telemedicine is pivotal for reaching remote areas. I am establishing a Telemedicine Kiosk and AI-powered software to offer home care services, enabling patients to receive care from the comfort of their homes and storing data in cloud-based software,” he said.
He also highlighted the significance of the MSME Conference for his company to explore and invest in startups.
He encouraged the MSMEs to talk, discuss, keep their presentations concise, and be prepared to address financial and marketing inquiries. He reassured them not to be afraid, as it’s all part of the learning journey.
He is married to Dr Zeenat Khan, a private dentist at City Smiles in Namaka, Nadi. They have two daughters, Aaliyah and Keishaa. Both Mr Chandra and his wife are from Labasa, and they currently reside in Nadi.