"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.”
- Senecas
Our ongoing preventive health programs:
• Fiji Aid International (FAI) donates funds towards the running of the Patan Memorial Clinic, which provides ongoing free preventive health care. The clinic has been in operation since June 2000 and has helped thousands of people from all over Fiji.
• The clinic is staffed primarily by a registered nurse. Local doctors specializing in family practice volunteer their time as well. Services at the clinic are some of the first of their kind in Fiji. Wheelchairs and walkers are also available for anyone in need.
• The clinic is used by medical volunteers to provide free service.
• FAI donates funds for an ongoing outreach preventive healthcare program at Vatuyaka Sangam School, in a remote area of Ba, Fiji. The program is managed by the school board and a trained healthcare worker in conjunction with the Public Health Department of Fiji. The program was started in 2004 and serves the remote villages surrounding the school.
Fact: The women in this area had their first pap smears ever in 2006! The outreach program has been very successful, and FAI plans to implement this program in schools that serve other remote areas.
• FAI supports the running of the Patan Memorial Health Clinic, which provides ongoing preventive care.
• Major emphasis has been placed on screening for diabetes, high blood pressure, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. Sadly, women in Fiji do not have access to ultrasounds or mammograms, or often do not have money for bus fares to go to a clinic.
• We educate women about cervical and breast cancer and how to do self-breast exams. These screenings are also done at outreach clinics. Unfortunately, many women die due to a lack of education and screening.
• There is a high rate of amputations and kidney failure due to complications from diabetes and a lack of screening and education.
• Damyenti Chandra helped implement a risk management and quality program at a major public hospital (Lautoka), the first of its kind in Fiji. The program has been adopted by the Ministry of Health nationwide.
• On his visit, Dr. Nemana conducted a medical seminar on the management of heart disease for the medical community. Damyenti Chandra published an article regarding cervical cancer in the Fiji Times, the major local newspaper.
• Education regarding preventive health and a healthy lifestyle is given to all the people screened or treated by our volunteers.
• Dr. Howard Homler presented a medical seminar on understanding diabetes to the medical community. He was also interviewed by schoolchildren regarding global health.
Outreach, medical care, and community work:
• Outreach medical care is given on a regular basis by medical volunteers.
• Medical care includes setting up makeshift clinics in remote villages and settlements, churches, schools, and sometimes someone’s front porch.
• We have been fortunate to have medical volunteers like orthopedic surgeons, cardiologists, and medical specialists volunteer at the hospitals as well.
• FAI was one of the first teams of healthcare responders to both the massive floods in 2009 & 2011 and also to Category 5 cyclone Winston in 2016.
• Besides adults, we treat a lot of children for asthma, scabies, and other diseases. Rheumatism is still prevalent in Fiji, and many children are affected by it.
While our primary focus remains within Fiji, we also recognize the urgent need for medical assistance beyond our island's shores. We have established an additional program dedicated to extending our support globally, helping those in dire circumstances where specialized care is often lacking. Consider Sheik's remarkable journey as an example.
Our commitment to facilitating care knows no borders. Join us as we expand our reach, making a difference in the lives of those in need around the world through our global program. Together, we can bring hope and healing to communities far beyond the shores of Fiji.