[Source: Supplied]

A team from Europe, including one of the world’s leading surgeons, is carrying out complex operations at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital.

Director Sumeet Tappoo highlights the hospital’s reliance on international medical teams amid shortages of specialized professionals.

He adds the hospital has performed 319 free heart surgeries for children across Fiji and the Pacific.

“We’ve got teams coming from Australia, from New Zealand, from the US, from Canada, from the UK, Singapore, Europe, and India. So we’ll keep having these doctors and surgeons over. We’re very grateful to them for their service, and we’re very grateful to the government as well for the support that they give the hospital.”

Tappoo adds that more than 20,500 pediatric echocardiograms have been conducted.