Calls are being made to provide a waiver of VAT on all medical consultations and procedures, remove VAT and reduce duty on the importation of all medical equipment and consumables to encourage further investments and development of the private healthcare sector.
Pacific Specialist Healthcare Operations Manager Ritesh Kumar has made this submission to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad during the national budget consultation forum held at the Nadi Town Council chambers.
Kumar is also calling on the government to incentivize medical tourism to encourage accelerated growth in that segment of the tourism market in the country by refunding VAT on locally incurred expenses made by the visiting patients.
He says this will make Fiji more attractive as a lucrative medical tourism destination compared to other countries in the region and beyond while bringing in much-needed foreign exchange revenue at the same time.
Kumar says they have a big vision, and part of the vision is promoting universal healthcare and they are achieving that to some extent.
The Operations Manager says PSH Hospitals now has the lowest GP consultation rates of $7.50 as this ensures that healthcare accessibility becomes easier for the public.
He says together with that, they have extended their services in Nadi to 24 hours a day and seven days a week and have also removed GP consultation fees for senior citizens who are over the age of 65 years.
Kumar further says Fiji is fast losing skilled medical professionals to brain drain which has created a shortage of skilled doctors and nurses in Fiji and getting the needed expertise from overseas is not that easy.
He says this is not good for healthcare in general and is requesting the government if the process could be streamlined, having a faster turnaround time with more urgency and efficiency.
While responding to Mr Kumar’s submission, Professor Prasad acknowledged the vision and foresight of PSH Hospitals’ founder and CEO Parvish Kumar for setting up such a speciality private hospital in Suva and Nadi to serve the entire Pacific region.
Professor Prasad says the government is also keen to promote medical tourism and wishes to see more investments towards retirement and holiday homes which can only be triggered with the presence of good healthcare services in the country.
He says that once the government can address the various issues affecting government hospitals, and the development of a national hospital and an additional multi-specialty hospital by the Indian Government while aligning with private healthcare service providers like PSH Hospitals, the investor confidence to build retirement villages and other related infrastructure will trigger unprecedented growth.
He has asked the management of PSH Hospitals to make a written submission which could be considered for the next national budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026.
The consultation will continue at the Girmit Center in Lautoka from 6 to 8 tonight.
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