Gujarat 's cosmopolitan city Vadodara, till date, was popularly known as ‘A City with Cultural Heritage'. Also, due to migration of skilled people with specialized knowledge the development of this city accelerated. Many professional fields were benefited from this including healthcare. The medical field in this city scaled new heights, and one such historical moment came, when Fiji 's Prime Minister Mr. Sitiveni Rabuka visited Vadodara based “Centre for Knee & Hip Surgery” for his knee replacement by Dr. Bharat Mody, an internationally renowned knee surgeon.
Dr. Mody offering consultation to Major General Rabuka

Dr. Mody offering consultation to Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka
 
Indian medical tourism, today, has extended its wings globally which means more international patients are visiting local medical hubs, which provide value for money and high quality medical facilities to their patients. One such medical hub is Vadodara based “Centre for Knee & Hip Surgery” which has patients visiting from nations like Australia , New Zealand, USA, UK , Africa and Middle-east. It is the only clinic of its kind offering complete solutions to knee problems. Centre's Chief Arthroplasty Surgeon Dr. Bharat Mody has successfully performed more than 8000 knee surgeries which itself speaks of its success.
   
Dr. Mody's reputation has attracted the Prime Minister of Fiji Islands Mr. Sitiveni Rabuka to come to Vadodara for getting his knees replaced. Perhaps, this is the first occasion when a person of the stature of Prime Minister has visited India for medical treatment. This will definitely give a big thrust to medical tourism in India, and Dr. Mody is to be credited for this achievement.
 
   
Citing his reason for selecting India , for his surgery Rabuka said, “I had options of taking treatment from experts in Australia and USA.However, some of my friends who had undergone a similar surgery recommended me to visit Dr. Mody. Also they had a high opinion of Dr. Mody's qualitative work style and nature. So, after correspondence with Dr. Mody on internet I finally decided to come here”. Dr. Mody has a steady stream of patients flowing in from Fiji and till date more than 60 patients from Fiji have been operated at Centre for Knee & Hip Surgery in Vadodara”.
Mr. & Mrs. Rabuka during post operative rehabilitation
Mr. & Mrs. Rabuka
during post operative rehabilitation

Indo-Fijian relations have a long history since decades with many Indians migrating to Fiji , and establishing themselves in trade, commerce, and other fields. Indians had a major hold on Fijian politics. Rabuka, being an ethnic Fijian believed that Fijians should have more privilege than Indians and so he twice led a bloodless coup in 1987. And thereafter, he went on to become the country's democratically elected Prime Minister in 1992.
 
Rabuka was accompanied by his wife Suluveti. It is the Fiji Government which paid Rabuka's medical bills.

In response to the question to Dr. Mody on his feeling following this major achievement he replies; “Prime Minister Rabuka's visit to Vadodara will give an overall boost to city's medical tourism. People will now turn to Vadodara for other medical treatments along with knee problems. And this is just the beginning”.
 
The medical fraternity of Vadodara has congratulated and conveyed good wishes to Dr. Mody for his achievement.
 
 
Other links to this story in the media :
 
Indian Express
 
India Today
 
Sunday Times
 
The Fiji Times
 
Express India
Globe Health Tours
Vadodara Yellow Pages
 
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