The Ministry of Health has confirmed that it is in the process of installing and commissioning a new Decompression Chamber at the CWM Hospital by early next year.
When responding to questions from Fijivillage, the Ministry said that the Decompression Chamber is expected to cost the Ministry USD $310,000.
Minister for Health Rosy Akbar confirms that the replacement and installation of the chamber is well on track.
The Ministry says in the meantime, all the severe infection cases are adequately treated medically and surgically at the CWM Hospital.
We had also asked the question about having Decompression Chambers in the Northern and Western divisions as Fiji has a lot of recreational and commercial diving.
The Ministry says installation of a Decompression Chamber in the Northern and Western Division is secondary for the Ministry at this stage.
When asked on how are cases of those that really need the Decompression Chamber treatment are being handled as there is no operational chamber in the country, the Health Ministry says that the cases are addressed medically and surgically and where necessary referrals are also made abroad.
Questions have been raised on what the Health Ministry is doing about setting up Decompression Chambers in the country as there can be many cases of bends that can also result in death as there is a lot of commercial and recreational diving in Fiji.
Fiji only has one Decompression Chamber in the country at the CWM Hospital, and that has not been working since early last year.
The bends, also known as decompression sickness, occurs in divers when dissolved gases, mainly nitrogen, come out of solution in bubbles and can affect just about any body area including joints, lungs, heart, skin and brain.
It is caused by the formation of bubbles of gas that occur with changes in pressure during diving, and if not treated, can lead to death.
The Decompression Chamber is also used as one of the ways to facilitate healing in severely infected wounds, especially those linked with diseases that result in impaired blood flow to wound sites as in Diabetes.
