Eight children born with defects in their hearts have undergone life‑saving surgery within the past three days as part of the ‘Gift of Life’ initiative.

More children will be receiving the ‘Gift of Life’ surgeries over the next few days, from the international team of congenital heart specialists who arrived in the country late last week.

The team, led by leading Paediatric Heart Surgeon, Doctor Ashish Katewa is in Fiji as part of the Gift of Life initiative organised by the Sai Prema Foundation.

This is the second time the Foundation has coordinated and facilitated the free congenital heart surgeries, in conjunction with the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital.

The first was in 2016 when 23 children successfully underwent heart surgery.

The team aims to help at least 25 children who need open‑heart surgery, an option that normally requires families to spend more than $100,000 because there are no local surgeons and clinicians to be able to provide the service in Fiji.

Last week the Foundation received $20,000 from the ATH Foundation for the Gift of Life initiative.