Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad (left) with Pacific Specialist Healthcare CEO Pravish Kumar (second from right) and Sugar Cane Growers Fund chairman Ahemad Bhamji (second from left)

The country’s 10,500 sugarcane farmers can now access high level health care for as low $7.50 a visit, thanks to a historic agreement signed between the Sugar Cane Growers Fund and Pacific Specialist Healthcare.

At the announcement of the deal yesterday, SCGF chairman Ahemad Bhamji said apart from the low General Practitioner fee of $7.50 at the private hospital, farmers would also receive 10 percent discounts on all other services.

He lauded PSH founder and chief executive officer Pravish Kumar, a son of cane farmer, for giving back to the farming community.

Bhamji said the deal with PSH would reduce the burden on growers.

“The industry has over 10,500 productive growers that have economies of scale and buying powers collectively. They collectively can and should have the ability to get the best offers. Given such consideration, the SCGF Loyalty Program was launched this month, to reward the productive sugar cane growers.”

Bhamji said the whole intention was to provide value-adding or extraordinary services in collaboration with some essential service and product partners that would make an impact on the lives of ordinary growers.

“In this Program, growers do not necessarily have to be customers of SCGF but need to be producing sugar cane. We have partners who supply farm machinery and implements, hardware, medical services and supplies, pharmacies, mobile service
providers (Vodafone), and Datec Fiji to name a few.

“We are talking to our national airline – Fiji Airways, petroleum companies, and supermarket chains to come on board.

“There will be no membership fee initially until March 2025 and the card is personal to growers. These services have been fully operational since 15th December 2024.”

Bhamji also announced that as of 1st January 2025, SCGF’s overall interest rate on loans to growers would reduce from 6 percent to 4.5 percent, in a bid to assist farmers.