Story of
Fiji
Fiji, an island nation known for its rich culture and natural beauty, faces an increasing burden of vascular diseases, particularly complications from diabetes. With 15% of the adult population affected by diabetes, diabetic foot disease is a common cause of hospital admissions and lower limb amputations.
At Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva, managing these conditions remains a challenge due to limited access to specialised vascular services. In response, Global Vascular Companionship has partnered with local healthcare professionals to support vascular surgical training, multidisciplinary collaboration, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at improving patient outcomes.
UPDATE:
2026
February 2026
We are excited to share another incredible update from our latest mission to Fiji, recently featured on Fiji One News.
This mission represents a major milestone in global vascular surgery. On Tuesday, February 17 2026, the first-ever Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) in Fiji was successfully performed, marking a transformative step in expanding access to advanced vascular care in the region.
This work was made possible through collaboration between Australian volunteers and the local team at Colonial War Memorial Hospital, led by Sela Koyamaibole.
Mission Team:
We congratulate the outstanding GVC mission team for their impactful work:
– Sela Koyamaibole
– Ronal Kumar
– Shrikkanth Rangarajan
– Pinar Peler, RN
– Robert Beavan, Podiatrist
– Donna Oomens, Vascular Sonographer
Beyond EVAR, the mission focused on education and capacity building, including vascular sonography training and nationwide diabetic foot care education, addressing a major burden of disease in the region.
May 2026
From 30 May to 6 June 2026, the Joint RACS Vascular Mission Team and Global Vascular Companionship returned to Fiji to continue supporting the development of vascular services through education, mentorship and multidisciplinary collaboration. Working alongside colleagues at Lautoka Hospital, the mission focused on sustainable capacity building, vascular ultrasound training, perioperative education and complex case discussions.
PAST MISSIONS:
2019
Embarking on the Collaborative Road to Fiji (2019)
The foundation of vascular surgical collaboration in Fiji began with Dr Iman Bayat’s (Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon, Melbourne) visit to Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH) in Suva from 23/09/2019 to 4/10/2019. During his time at CWMH, Dr Bayat worked alongside the general surgical team, providing hands-on training through live surgeries, including vascular access creation and venous stripping procedures, while also conducting dedicated vascular clinic sessions.
Recognising the gaps in vascular services and the rising burden of diabetic foot complications in Fiji, Dr Bayat drafted a formal proposal outlining the need for a structured vascular program. This proposal was submitted to the Fiji Ministry of Health, advocating for vascular surgical training pathways, improved multidisciplinary management of diabetic foot disease, and expanded vascular imaging services.
By the end of the trip, a WhatsApp group was established between vascular surgeons at Northern Hospital and their counterparts at CWMH, facilitating ongoing case discussions, knowledge exchange, and continued support for local surgeons. This first step paved the way for future training initiatives, including the development of Fiji’s first dedicated vascular service.
Vascular access creation mentoring by Dr Iman Bayat, alongside Dr Sela Koyamaibole and surgeons from Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH), Suva
Tutorial workshop led by Dr Iman Bayat for surgeons and registrars at Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH), Suva
Introducing Dr Sela Koyamaibole
Partnership between The Northern Health (Victoria, Australia) and Colonial War Memorial Hospital (Suva, Fiji)
Dr Sela Koyamaibole, a General Surgeon from the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, has recently completed two-and-a-half years of rigorous vascular surgical training at Northern Hospital between 2022 and 2025. His advanced training in both open and endovascular techniques has prepared him to meet the growing need for specialised vascular care in Fiji. Dr Koyamaibole will soon return to his home country to serve as a vascular surgeon, where his expertise and commitment are poised to significantly enhance patient outcomes and contribute to the development of vascular services in Fiji.
Reflecting on his transformative 2.5-year training journey at The Northern Hospital, Sela remarked:
“Coming from one of the small Pacific islands to a developed country like Australia was an entirely new experience. My two and a half years in the Vascular Unit at the Northern Health Hospital have been nothing short of amazing. They’ve been filled with many great learning experiences, opportunities to make new friends, and networking chances.”
Dr. Sela Koyamaibole with the Northern Hospital theatre scrub team—it was hard to say goodbye!
Dr Sela Koyamaibole performing a lower limb endovascular revascularisation procedure at the Northern Hospital, Victoria, Australia
Introducing Dr Ronal Kumar
Partnership between Christchurch Hospital (Christchurch, New Zealand) and Lautoka Hospital, Fiji
Dr Ronal Kumar, a General Surgeon from Lautoka Hospital, has recently completed two-year fellowship in advanced vascular surgical training at Christchurch Hospital in New Zealand. His comprehensive training, encompassing both open and endovascular techniques, has equipped him with the expertise necessary to address the growing needs for specialised vascular care in Fiji.
Reflecting on his enriching experience, Dr Kumar remarked:
“The Global Vascular Companionship Programme has given us a voice and a shoulder to lean on. There is so much unmet surgical need for Vascular Surgery in Fiji and in the Pacific; support from GVC has set us sailing in the right direction. From being able to call a friend for help, to surgical equipment, and now finding mentors both on-site and off-site to ensure adequate training for both Dr Sela and myself to set up Vascular units, is going to touch so many lives in a positive way. GVC also ensures that surgeons are trained specifically for the regions they originate from. Each region has its unique challenges, and being able to train surgeons who return to their home institutions, ready to implement change and take ownership, represents one of the most satisfying outcomes we could hope for.”
“Over the years of training, this has also enabled us to form new alliances, strengthening the support network and providing essential resources to establish and sustain vascular services.”
Fiji Mission Trip Video:
Future Vision: Fiji as the Pacific’s Vascular Surgical Hub
Returning home as trained vascular surgeons, Dr Sela Koyamaibole and Dr Ronal Kumar are set to transform vascular care in Fiji—saving lives and limbs with their expertise.
“We would like to setup Vascular units in Lautoka and CWM Hospital over the next year and rapidly bring about endovascular Surgery over the next few years. I envisage the next couple of trainees that are trained abroad will change the way we manage vascular patients and especially diabetic foot care not just for Fiji but the Pacific region. We hope to centralise Vascular Surgery in Fiji and train more people, not just Surgeons but Nurses, Radiology and Support staff to ensure continuity of care. The future is bright for us, we had to start somewhere and are thankful to GVC for showing us the path.” – Dr Ronal Kumar
“Our vision is to provide exceptional vascular surgery and care, saving and enhancing the lives of our patients by offering the most effective techniques available.”, – Dr Sela Koyamaibole
“Understanding all the challenges that come with establishing a new specialty, the primary objective is to implement all the knowledge gained over the past 2.5 years at the Northern Hospital into the Fiji Health System. A significant challenge is the need for a shift in mindset, especially considering the limited resources that Fiji, as a developing nation, has. It will require a gradual approach, taking one case at a time, and a lot of hard work and collaboration. However, with the support of GVC, the TNH Vascular Unit, and the networks established over the years, the future for vascular services in Fiji appears promising.”
Looking ahead, the focus is on establishing a dedicated vascular and endovascular service at CWMH in collaboration with Dr Koyamaibole and our healthcare partners in Fiji. This will be a progressive and sustainable approach to improving vascular surgical capacity in the region.
Key areas of ongoing support and development include:
- Case discussions for complex decision-making –
Facilitating expert input and mentorship from GVC vascular surgeons to assist in managing challenging cases. - GVC surgeon visits for complex cases –
Regular visits to support local teams in performing advanced vascular procedures. - Training vascular sonographers –
Developing local expertise in Doppler ultrasound and vascular imaging to improve diagnosis and pre-operative planning. - Training vascular nurses in theatre –
Enhancing perioperative and intraoperative vascular surgical nursing skills to improve patient outcomes. - Establishing a vascular surgery training hub –
Laying the groundwork for Fiji to become a regional centre for vascular surgery training, providing education, mentorship, and hands-on experience for future Pacific Island surgeons.
With continued collaboration and support, this initiative has the potential to build a self-sustaining vascular service in Fiji, improving access to vascular care for local patients and potentially expanding to support other Pacific Island nations facing similar healthcare challenges.
Recent Success Story:
Telehealth Consultation in a Tongan Paediatric Case
Their work already shines through our first success story: A telehealth consultation for a complex, Tongan paediatric case.
This was facilitated by our GVC members – Dr Iman Bayat (Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon, Melbourne) and Sela, with expert advice from a paediatric surgeon at the Royal Children’s Hospital, with the support of a local general surgeon and radiologist at the bedside.
“We now have the great privilege of consulting with internationally esteemed individuals in their respective fields through these networks. These specialty support, which were not easily accessible in the Pacific Islands in the past, will significantly impact our management, enabling us to make better decisions with the proper utilisation of limited resources.”
Sela with the Northern Hospital vascular surgeons —Left to right: Dr David Mitchell, Dr Iman Bayat, Dr David Goh, Dr Vikram Iyer, and Dr Shrikkanth Rangarajan.
Dr Sela Koyamaibole performing surgery alongside Dr Michael Smits (Vascular Surgical Trainee) and the vascular surgical team at the Northern Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
If you can help with our missions/projects, consider donating:
Latest Missions/Projects
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Story of Barbados
In 2017/2018 the Government offered a scholarship for a surgeon to travel overseas and train to become the first vascular surgeon in Barbados.