Doctors reluctant to serve in rural areas – Dr Tudravu

There is an uneven distribution of doctors contrary to the Ministry's plans and the persistent difficulty in filling positions at rural health facilities over the past two years.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr Jemesa Tudravu highlighted this at the Fiji Medical Association General Meeting at the Holiday Inn, addressing the challenges encountered by the Ministry in deploying doctors to rural areas.

Dr Tudravu says this is because of the reluctance of some doctors to serve in such locations.

He also drew attention to Fiji's pressing HIV/AIDS issue, emphasizing the necessity of appropriate intervention to prevent its escalation into an uncontrollable problem.

The Permanent Secretary discussed at length the Ministry's ongoing efforts to finalize an HIV Surge Strategy aimed at fostering collaboration with health partners across government ministries and communities to bolster prevention.

Dr Tudravu expressed confidence in the combined dedication and expertise of the attendees to effectively address these challenges with resilience and fortitude.

Also, according to statistics shown 176 Medical Officers left the Ministry in 2022.