More life-saving heart surgeries planned for Pacific children in October

Updates / News, 26 Sep 25

Children across the Pacific who once faced little chance of surviving congenital and rheumatic heart disease are now receiving lifesaving surgeries and specialist care, thanks to the Uto Bulabula – Healthy Hearts initiative. Following two successful missions, the programme will return to Fiji this October for its third deployment, continuing to change lives and strengthen regional health services.

The initiative, delivered in partnership, brings together the surgical and clinical expertise of the Hearts4Kids Foundation, the care and facilities of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital (SSSSCH), and the coordination of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Group). Since its launch in July 2024, Healthy Hearts has already provided 31 lifesaving heart operations for children from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Tuvalu.

Dr Krupali Tappoo, COF, Director of SSSSCH, reflected on the impact.

"We’re very grateful for this partnership and we hope that we can continue working together so that all the children in the Pacific will have hope. After the surgery is conducted, many children tell us that they want to become doctors, nurses and heart surgeons.

"What they will do in their lives and the opportunities that are available to these children once they have a new gift of life are endless. When you listen to their stories and the challenges that they have been through, it really touches our hearts."

Dr Kirsten Finucane Starship Hospital’s Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgeon and Hearts4Kids Clinical Lead, also shared her hopes for the children who undergo these procedures.

"It’s important that we collaborate. It’s also wonderful to see the interaction between children from different countries, knowing that we are uniting in some way for this important work. I hope that by going through surgery, these children realise how strong and resilient they truly are and that strength stays with them for life."

Debbie Sorensen ONZM, Chief Executive of PMA Group, emphasised the vision behind the work.

"Every child deserves the opportunity to live a full, healthy life. Through Uto Bulabula – Healthy Hearts, we are not only saving lives but also giving Pacific children the chance to grow, to dream, and to look forward to brighter futures. This is at the very heart of PMA’s mission to strengthen health systems and create a better quality of life for our people."

This initiative is made possible through the New Zealand Medical Treatment Scheme (NZMTS), which is managed by the PMA Group and funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). NZMTS ensures Pacific people have access to specialist medical treatment not available locally, while also supporting in-country health services and building sustainable regional capacity.

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