The government has spent over one billion dollars in improving health services for Fijians in the last seven years.
According to Health Ministry statistics obtained by Fijivillage, they now have new equipment like MRI machines, CT scanners and cardiac labs.
The Pacific Eye Institute was opened in 2011 while a new suite for chemotherapy at CWM Hospital was completed three years ago.
This year sees the renovation of 10 operating theatres at CWM Hospital while a new Accident and Emergency Department was completed for Savusavu Hospital three years ago.
The ministry also confirmed that in 2010, they outfitted all 19 sub-divisional hospitals with ultrasound equipment and x-ray machines.
Since 2011, six health centres in the Central Division now have extended opening hours for Lami, Samabula, Valelevu, Raiwaqa, Tamavua and Makoi.
The Health Ministry statistics and data also show that a number of projects have been undertaken relating to the construction of health centres, hospitals and quarters over the past years.
These include the Labasa Hospital extension in 2009, the new Nasea Health Centre in Labasa, and a number of nursing stations and quarters in different parts of the country.
It has also been confirmed that cabinet approved the creation of 56 posts for doctors in 2011 and the Fiji National University introduced the degree course in public health nursing.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Health said it is also trying to reduce the waiting time of patients by increasing the number of doctors and nurses in every hospital and health center.
Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor Eloni Tora said the long waiting time which is a problem faced by all health services in the world is being addressed in a number of ways.
He said some of these ways are increasing the Ministry’s establishment of doctors by around 400 from 2010 to 2016, increasing the Ministry’s nursing establishment by 1,510 new posts from 2010 to 2018 and increasing accessibility to services which includes bringing in new services which were not previously available in Fiji.
Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama also revealed last week that major reforms and basic upgrade to medical facilities and services will be carried out in the next few months.
He said this reform is also a result of his office closely monitoring the public medical service delivery.
The Prime Minister said public medical service delivery does not only relate to the ratio of doctors to patients but the attitude of medical staff towards their clients who are both out and inpatients.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
