Latest news with #Nand
NZ Herald
25-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Family mourn ‘hero' Auckland heart surgeon Dr Parma Nand
Speaking publicly for the first time, his daughter, Komal Nash, told the Herald it had been an overwhelming experience to see and hear about the many lives her father had touched in his work as a surgeon. 'He's always been a hero to me, growing up. He came from nothing and made sure that I had everything in my life - he supported me with my education and gave me absolutely everything,' Nash, a lawyer, said. 'So seeing how many other people consider him their hero has been really touching and overwhelming. 'In a time of intense grief, it brings me a lot of comfort to know that he's changed a lot of lives and saved a lot of people. 'My heart is broken, but I know he mended a lot of other hearts. I'm just a very proud daughter.' Nand was also the father of 16-year-old twins Thomas and William and grandfather of Sierra, 3, and 1-year-old Rumi. Nand worked as a cardiothoracic surgeon - specialising in surgeries on the heart, lungs and other structures in the chest - for about 30 years at Mercy Ascot and Auckland City hospitals. His philanthropic work and drive to give back to his homeland of Fiji and other parts of the Pacific made him a well-respected figure in the region. In 2006, Nand organised a team of medical staff - including surgeons, specialists and nurses - to travel to Fiji to give free operations to locals who would otherwise not be able to afford it. That first trip turned into the Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation NZ and over the years, a total of 15 missions to Fiji have taken place - resulting in more than 770 surgical treatments and 4200 screening assessments and associated services for Fijian residents. From extreme poverty to sought-after surgeon At yesterday's service, many of the audience included members of the medical profession and those from different parts of the Indian, Fijian and Fijian-Indian communities. Fellow cardiothoracic surgeon and friend, Dr Krish Chaudhuri, described Nand as more than a mentor - he was a brother. Chaudhuri shared how Nand had emailed him an autobiographical summary of his life a few years ago. Reading out his friend's words, mourners heard about Nand's humble beginnings in Fiji. 'I lived in extreme poverty with 10 siblings. We sometimes struggled to have food on the table. 'Our parents were small-time tailors with limited income. Our family income was supplemented by a small volume of 5 litres of milk to sell daily to township households. 'The milk was delivered approximately 4km away by bicycle every morning before school by my eldest siblings and later by myself.' Despite school fees costing $3 per term, Nand was often dragged out of the classroom as his parents could not afford to pay them. 'We were probably the poorest family in the community.' Chaudhuri acknowledged how Nand's humble beginnings had pushed him to work hard in life - and never forgetting to give back to those in need. 'When we look at his life story, we see that he may have started off as a pawn, but he made it to become the most significant piece on the chessboard - the king.' A new scholarship for surgeons in Fiji Chaudhuri revealed that over the years, he and Nand had discussed how financially difficult it was becoming to fund the annual missions to Fiji. Instead, Nand thought it would be a good idea to start training doctors and surgeons from Fiji here in New Zealand, to improve their skills and ultimately carry out the life-saving operations themselves. Nash said the family was passionate about that idea and organising a scholarship under Nand's name. 'It's like you're teaching them to fish, so they can set up their own unit and be sustainable and not have to rely on these missions every year. 'He always spoke about going back to Fiji and helping the less fortunate.'
NZ Herald
09-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Patients pay tribute to Auckland heart doctor Parma Nand after shock death
The Herald shared Nand's story on Thursday. Former patients and their family members were quick to come forward to share how Nand had impacted them - many thanking him for saving their lives. Among those was Aucklander Aaron Cooper, who suffered critical injuries in a speedway accident on New Year's Eve in 2007. 'Dr Nand had just finished a double shift when I was wheeled in' 'I rolled my stock car and landed upside down on the wall. I broke my back and had a leak in an artery in my heart. The sac was full up with blood,' Cooper said. While being rushed to hospital in an ambulance, Cooper's heart stopped. A paramedic drained the blood from around his heart as they arrived at the hospital. 'Dr Nand had just finished a double shift - I believe 18 hours. He was in the (emergency room) about to go home when I was wheeled in,' Cooper said. 'He jumped straight in and took over. I was awake at some point as he was explaining he was going to operate. I looked at him and said: 'Okay. If you're the last face I ever see, I know you did your best'. 'When I woke up, he was sitting in the chair next to the bed. I held his hand and thanked him.' 'I wouldn't have been in anyone's life' Cooper spent the rest of his time in hospital recovering in the spinal unit. On the day he was discharged, he had a chance encounter with the man who saved him. 'I was leaving the hospital and he was walking towards me. He stopped. I put my hand out to shake his hand. 'He said: 'I've had your heart in my hand. I'll have a hug.'' When the accident happened, Cooper had just become a new dad - his newborn daughter was 10 days old. 'She's 17 now and just gone to her high school prom.' He also has another daughter, who came into his life when she was 11 years old in 2014. 'She's just now had her own daughter. Without Dr Nand saving me, I wouldn't have been in anyone's life, let alone get to be a Poppa to Shaylee.' Friends and colleagues of Nand are organising a memorial service for him later this month.
NZ Herald
08-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Auckland surgeon Dr Parma Nand, known for Fiji missions, dies at 64
The 64-year-old died on Sunday after a short illness. 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. The foundation's last mission was in 2023. Achievements on that trip included 25 patients being implanted with a total of 45 valves, 312 people receiving pacemaker checks and 39 patients being given new implants. Nand's achievements have been recognised by the Fijian Government. Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister Professor Bisman Prasad said the island nation had lost a giant among surgeons. 'Dr Nand achieved name, fame and acclaim – but he never, for once, forgot that Fiji was his land of birth.' A 'deeply humble' leader Prasad said Nand 'was not only an embodiment of wisdom in his profession; but was deeply humble, kind, caring – a true son of Fiji'. 'Fiji is poorer for his passing.' On the RateMDs website, where patients rate their doctors, Nand's 71 reviews have a 99% five-star rating. Among the comments are patients who have thanked him for a second chance at life. 'Four years since you gave me a mechanical aortic heart valve. What a wonderful journey at life you have given me. Your skill has allowed me... to see my family and grandchildren.' Patel, who is also a trustee for the Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation, said thousands of lives were changed because of Nand's service. 'But he was the humblest of all souls. 'On one of the rare occasions that we got him on stage, he said, 'Don't shine the light on me. There are many others behind me'. That's how he was.' A private funeral service is due to be held this week for Nand, while a memorial service is being organised for friends and colleagues.
![[Editorial] Vanishing tech lead](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Korea Herald
24-02-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
[Editorial] Vanishing tech lead
Survey finds S. Korea overtaken by China in semiconductor technologies South Korea's semiconductor technology level was overtaken by China's in two years, a survey of experts has found. The results of the survey are contained in a report by the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning, titled "an in-depth analysis of technology levels in three major fields." The state-run think tank on South Korea's science and technology capabilities is said to have surveyed 39 domestic semiconductor experts. South Korea's basic technology capabilities in the field of semiconductors were found to have fallen behind China in most categories. When the best technology level is viewed as 100 percent, South Korea scored 90.9 percent in the field of highly integrated, resistance-based memory technology, coming second to China with 94.1 percent. In the area of high-performance, low-power artificial intelligence semiconductor technology, South Korea marked 84.1 percent compared to China's 88.3 percent. In the technology level of power semiconductor devices, South Korea stood at 67.5 percent behind China's 79.8 percent. When it comes to next-generation, high-performance sensing technology, South Korea's level was 81.3 percent, below China's 83.9 percent. The experts surveyed had participated in the previous evaluation two years earlier. At that time, they put South Korea ahead of China in the levels of highly integrated, resistance-based memory and advanced semiconductor packaging technologies, but their evaluations have flipped. Also on the technology life cycle of semiconductor, South Korea was surpassed by China in the fields of basic research and design. Japan has taken a step ahead of South Korea in the realm of Nand flash memory. Japan's Kioxia recently unveiled its latest advancement in Nand flash memory technology, featuring an impressive increase to 332 layers, up from the previous 218 layers. Its technology, though in a prototype stage, has reportedly surpassed that of South Korea's SK hynix and Samsung Electronics. Presently, SK hynix' ninth-generation, 321-layer products are reportedly the only Nand flash memory with more than 320 layers. Samsung's ninth-generation Nand has 286 layers. Semiconductors are not a simple product with economic value. They form a strategically important industry which determines the future of countries. That is why the US and China are competing fiercely for hegemony in the industry. China's significant progress is a result from its ambitious semiconductor projects initiated about a decade ago. According to the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, Beijing poured more than 1.3 trillion yuan ($179 billion) into projects to develop China's semiconductor industry for 10 years from 2014-2024. Last year, it unveiled a plan to invest 1.5 trillion yuan directly and indirectly in the industry for 10 more years. Japan seeks to resurrect its semiconductor industry, backed up by its competitiveness in materials, parts and equipment sectors. With South Korea embattled by China and Japan, the US administration under President Donald Trump is threatening to impose tariffs on semiconductors. Technology innovation is the only solution to overcome this crisis. It is urgent to provide legal and institutional support to South Korean chipmakers. However, rival parties are absorbed in political battles. Semiconductor firms want their R&D professionals to be able to work longer than 52-hour workweek if the occasion demands it, but opposition parties won't budge on their position to keep to the regulation. Legislators should raise their heads and turn their eyes to the outside world. If they dawdle, Korean companies will likely fall behind. They will have to make a decision quickly for the future of the country. Jin Roy Ryu, who was reelected chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries on Thursday, said in his inaugural address that South Korea's business environment is worse now than during the foreign exchange crisis of 1997. He said that bills to foster high tech industries are drifting in the National Assembly. As he noted, the country's main industries, including semiconductors, are not at crossroads but teetering on the edge of a cliff. Unless politicians establish a breakthrough quickly to help South Korean high-tech industries survive competition, they may miss the opportunity to reinvigorate its growth engines. If that happens, an economic crisis could befall the nation.
