14/05/2025
An Auckland heart doctor who saved hundreds of lives in Fiji for free has died.
May 8th
Dr Parma Nand worked as a cardiothoracic surgeon – specialising in surgeries on the heart, lungs and other structures in the chest – for more than 30 years at Mercy Ascot and Auckland City hospitals.
His expertise and kind manner made him a sought-after surgeon in New Zealand, his colleagues say.
But it was arguably his philanthropic work and his desire to give back to his homeland and other parts of the Pacific that made him a well-respected figure in the region.
Friend and colleague Kirit Patel paid tribute to a doctor who had a heart for people and service.
“He was quite exceptional,” Patel said
“He came from a very poor family and back in 2006, he wanted to go to Fiji to give free heart operations – particularly rheumatic heart valve replacement surgery, which is quite complex but pretty prevalent in Fiji.”
Nand reached out to his medical colleagues and professional friends, including Patel, a banker, for help to get to Fiji that year. He organised fundraising efforts and medical equipment to carry out the operations.
Dozens of people, including fellow surgeons, doctors and specialists, stepped up and offered their services for free.
A giant among surgeons
That first trip turned into what became the Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation NZ, which Nand founded. The services they have carried out include open-heart surgeries, pacemaker implants, screenings, angiography and angioplasties.
Since 2006, 15 missions to Fiji have taken place, resulting in more than 770 surgical treatments and 4200 screening assessments and associated services for Fijian residents who would otherwise not be able to afford those operations or treatments.
