Kidney patient dies after being sent home

The Ministry of Health assured the government treatment was available in Fiji for a kidney patient who died after being sent home.

Sanil Kumar, 30, battled to stay in New Zealand so he could have a kidney transplant.

He had to return to Fiji in April after his work visa expired and Associate Immigration Minister Nikki Kaye wouldn't intervene to renew it.

"The minister established, through the Ministry of Health, that there were appropriate treatment facilities available for him for his kidney condition in Fiji," Prime Minister John Key said on Monday.

"She established there was health support in Fiji."

Mr Key said he couldn't discuss details of Mr Kumar's illness because the family hadn't granted a privacy waiver.

Labour MP Rajen Prasad, who took up Mr Kumar's case and urged Ms Kaye to intervene, said Mr Kumar couldn't get the kidney transplant he needed in Fiji.

He said Mr Kumar had been receiving dialysis treatment but he contracted an infection and died on Monday morning.

"I am particularly sad that New Zealand could not extend compassion to Sanil in his hour of need," Mr Prasad said.

"I can't see what would have been the harm to New Zealand if Sanil had been allowed to go through his procedure here."

Mr Prasad says Mr Kumar had a kidney donor within his family and his community was raising money for the transplant operation.

"I can only pass on my condolences for Sanil's family and pray that our immigration system can show a lot more humanity in the future in such sad cases," he said.