The resumption of the India medical treatment scheme will commence next month following a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Apollo Hospitals last week.

Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa and the Vice President of the Apollos Hospitals in India, Radhey Mohan signed the memorandum at the government building which was confirmed in a social media post by the Director General of Health, Aiono Dr. Alec Ekeroma.

"MOU between Samoa and Apollo Hospitals was signed by the Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa, and the Vice President of Apollo Hospitals Radhey Mohan," he posted.

While patients will go to India for treatment not offered locally, there will be specialist visits to perform procedures here with an active exchange of health professionals will also follow. 

In December of last year, Aiono spoke about the long-standing challenge of Samoa sending patients overseas for treatment as it is expensive. Something he said needs to be addressed immediately as the country "can not afford to keep sending patients overseas". 

"If we can have some of those patients treated here in Samoa, that would save us a lot of money," he explained.

"At this stage, we are waiting for Cabinet's approval to start sending patients to India, because the MOU (memorandum of understanding) ran out and we need to come up with a new MOU for Apollo Hospital.

"Cabinet has already looked at it and I think they have sent it to the Attorney General to check some things before they make a decision.

"We need to address that as a nation, as we cannot afford to keep sending patients overseas for treatment and the country can't afford to do that, with the Prime Minister also making the same announcement publicly."

He also confirmed in that interview that Samoa will be sending children who need cardiac surgeries to get treated at the Sanjeevani Children's Hospital in Fiji starting in August of this year.

The hospital is run by the Sai Prema Foundation. The hospital offers free hearty surgeries to children and treatment for children with congenital heart diseases. The hospital had also stated that it would open its services to children from other Pacific nations apart from Fijian children.

Minister of Health, Valasi Tafito Selesele last year also announced the development of a Cancer Center in Samoa and looking at having some of the treatments available in Samoa. 

However, he said they need to also look at sending nurses and doctors overseas for further training on how to perform some of these cancer treatments in Samoa.

That will also stop the government from sending patients to Starships Hospital in New Zealand which he said is very expensive.