By SHALENDRA PRASAD | photojournalist.fiji@gmail.com
The management of Pacific Specialist Healthcare Hospital (PSH) have welcomed the announcement by Fiji Airways to commence direct flights between Cairns, Australia and Nadi from April 10, 2025, onwards.
As a state-of-the-art 100 bed specialist hospital located stones throw away from the Nadi International Airport, PSH has strategically aligned itself with the common vision shared by the Fiji Government to turn the country into an attractive medical tourism hub.
“We share a common vision with the government of the day and have started working towards achieving our goals of turning Fiji into an attractive destination for tourists who want to travel for health reasons,” PSH founder and chief executive officer Parvish Kumar said.
He said the new thrice-weekly connection from Cairns every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, landing in Fiji around 4 hours and 30 minutes later will give more Australians direct access to world-class medical services instantly upon touching down into Nadi.
“While Australian citizens make up the largest number of visitors to Fiji annually, they do not need a visa to visit Fiji for tourism purposes if their stay is less than four months and this is an added advantage,” Mr Kumar.
He said PSH will be able to carry out medical procedures for Australians at a fraction of what they would normally pay in their home country.
“An average Australian could pay around $100,000 for a heart bypass surgery and here at PSH we can offer the same for a fraction of that cost,” Mr Kumar offered.
“Shockingly, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is Australia’s top killer, taking the life of one in every four Australians.
“In 2021, it was the underlying cause of death in 42,700 deaths – that is 25% of all deaths.
“According to statistics, every 12 minutes, one Australian dies from CVD. That’s 118 deaths every day.”
As per the 2023 census report, Australia has a population of 26.64 million.
Meanwhile, Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker hails the new connection for opening “the South Pacific to locals as a great holiday destination or to visit loved ones,” noting Fiji Airways’ full Oneworld membership will allow even greater connections across North America.
From Nadi, jetsetters can easily connect to North American travel magnets including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver, along with Dallas-Fort Worth.
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