New Zealand is providing more than 319-thousand US dollars to assist patients in Samoa needing medical treatment overseas.
New Zealand's High Commissioner to Samoa, John Adank says this assistance programme is separate from the Samoa Government's overseas medical referral scheme.
He told the American Samoa Tribune that the New Zealand funding covers the cost of treatment from arrival in New Zealand until departure.
New Zealand funding for the medical assistance program has remained at more than 300-thousand US dollars a year over the last five years.
And, he says has seen an average of around 50 patients per year treated in New Zealand.
To be eligible patients must have a life threatening, or seriously debilitating medical condition, but with a good prognosis.
