Private hospital makes medical tourism call amid NZ visa easing

While New Zealand’s easing of visa laws has been welcomed with open arms by Pacific islanders, the management of Fiji's largest state-of-the-art 130-bed specialty private hospital is thinking of returning the favour with medical tourism incentives for New Zealanders.

Pacific Specialist Healthcare founder and Chief Executive Officer Parvish Kumar who is working hard to put Fiji on the medical tourism map with a focus on the 22 Pacific Island countries including Australia and New Zealand believes the new immigration incentives released by Immigration New Zealand could not have come at a better time.

Immigration New Zealand announced that from July 6, 2025, people granted a visitor visa would be able to visit New Zealand multiple times within a 24-month period.

Kumar says while they welcome this latest incentive which is encouraging Pacific Islanders to travel more often and with ease to New Zealand, they at PSH Hospitals which is so strategically located right opposite the Nadi International Airport - Fiji’s gateway to the world, would like to offer something back to the people of New Zealand.

He says New Zealand residents do not typically need a visa to enter Fiji for tourism or recreation and this is an added advantage for tourists who wish to visit for medical reasons.

Kumar says similar to Australian tourists, New Zealanders can visit Fiji for up to four-months without a visa and with their state-of-the-art hospital, they can offer many world-class services to them at a fraction of the cost and with no waiting time for surgeries including open-heart procedures.

In New Zealand, approximately 180,000 adults are currently living with heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the country, with one in three deaths attributed to it.

Coronary heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, is the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death and disability in New Zealand.

Kumar adds with their newly commissioned catheterization laboratory and advanced operations theatre, their highly trained cardiac team and resources are on par with the most advanced countries in the world but they can offer world-class services at a fraction of the costs compared to what rates are charged in other countries.

He says working in line with the Fiji government's vision to develop the medical tourism sector, PSH Hospitals is all geared up to live up the expectations of all stakeholders concerned and deliver world-class health services at the most competitive and cost-effective rates.

Kumar says the hospital is aligned with the Fiji Government’s aspirations for promoting medical tourism to the world and they have already started taking constructive steps in that direction.

Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka says the establishment and rapid expansion of PSH Hospitals exemplifies Fiji’s commitment to offering state-of-the-art facilities and advanced treatments.

Gavoka says there is a need to develop Fiji’s health infrastructure to support locals and medical tourists.

He says medical tourism involves traveling to another country for medical care, driven by factors such as cost-effectiveness, availability of treatments and quality of care.

Gavoka says Fiji aims to emulate successful examples like India, which attracts many Fijians and Pacific Islanders annually for medical treatments.

He states that the government is incentivizing private investment in healthcare through investment allowances for building, renovating, or expanding private hospitals and the medical investment package includes concessions and duty-free entry for certain medical machinery, encouraging investors to support the development of private healthcare facilities.

Tourism Fiji Chief Executive Officer Brent Hill congratulated the team at PSH Hospitals for the recent medical milestones with a marathon of successful open-heart surgeries since November last year.

Hill says on behalf of Tourism Fiji, he congratulate the team of doctors and PSH Hospitals in Nadi, on the significant milestones achieved.

He says they have no doubt the patients and their family members would be thrilled and for patients around the world, including in our neighbouring Pacific Islands, to know that this level of capability is available in Fiji is significant.

Former President of the Fiji College of General Practitioners Dr Ram Raju, who is also the president of the Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry says, he is proud of his association with PSH Hospitals and has called on New Zealand and Australia to gradually look at providing a visa-free travel for Fijians and Pacific Islanders at large.

Raju says they fully support the calls made by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad of a Blue Pacific visa-free incentive from the New Zealand and Australian governments as it will have very positive outcomes in all sectors of the economy including medical tourism and many areas of trade and investments.