Appana Sami of Navosai subdivision in Nasinu will be leaving for India along with his wife Urmila Sami on Thursday, August 15th for open heart surgery under his health insurance cover from Housing Authority.

Housing Authority chief executive officer Alipate Naiorosui said, “The health insurance policy was introduced in 2008 as a result of noting an increase in the number of cardiac and cancer cases among our homeowners”.

The Sami family bought a piece of land in 2004 and slowly built a 3 bedroom home for the couple with their 4 children.

Currently 4,200 home owners are covered under the Housing Authority’s mortgage protection insurance policy which comes into effect in the event of the customers death and or total permanent disability. The cover ensures that the surviving family are freed from any debt because the policy settles the remaining balance on the home loan account.

Under the health insurance cover, if a Housing Authority home owner is diagnosed with a cardiac condition or cancer, the insurance company requires a second medical opinion to verify the diagnosis. Upon meeting these conditions, Housing Authority is able to provide its customers, who are covered under the policy, with medical treatment in India.
Mr. Sami said, “I usually suffered from shortness of breath at night so after getting a medical report from the doctor verifying my condition, I took it to Housing Authority whom organized my medical treatment in India under the homeowner health insurance policy”.

“The health insurance covers the visa application, return airfares, accommodation, meals, treatment and also covers the cost of sending a support person or spouse. In critical cases, Housing Authority is also able to send a medical practitioner to accompany the homeowner,” Mr Naiorosui added.

Since the launch of the health insurance policy in 2008, 22 homeowners have been sent to India for cardiac and cancer treatment and have successfully returned back to Fiji. Of this, 19 homeowners were sent for cardiac related treatment and 3 homeowners were sent for cancer treatment.