The Fiji Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Services Centre will launch an improved implementation model for the Free Medicine Programme in April this year.
Under the new model, participating private pharmacies will dispense listed medications from their own inventory and will be reimbursed by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.
From today, GPs under the Public Private Partnership scheme will not be restricted from procuring medicine from the Government pharmacy.
Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the Free Medicine Programme is funded at $8 million.
The list of free medicines has expanded to cover 140 items, comprising 136 medicinal products and 4 consumable items, mainly wound dressing materials.
From early May, open-heart surgeries will be available at the Lautoka Hospital – marking the first time in history that this procedure will be available all days of the year in Fiji.
Sayed-Khaiyum says other benefits will be added in the coming months including cardiac catheterisation, chemotherapy and renal dialysis.
He says concurrently, work is being undertaken to build a new Lautoka Hospital at the current site with no interruption to service.
He says Ba Hospital will move from Ba Mission Hospital on 9th April and all current services delivered at the Ba Mission Hospital will be provided at the new upgraded Ba Hospital facility.
Government is allocating $13 million to operationalise the Public Private Partnership arrangement.
Government has also provided $1.2 million to continue to subsidise Kidney Dialysis Treatment programme.
To date, a total of 135 registered patients are receiving their subsidised kidney treatment under the Dialysis Treatment Programme at six facilities across Fiji.
Sayed-Khaiyum also says the Free GP Scheme will also now include Free Dental Practitioners, as they will now also be engaging the private dental practitioners to improve the oral health of all Fijians, including school-aged children.
He adds the cost of private dental services will be borne by the Fijian Government at an agreed price with individual dental practitioners and private medical dental centres and hospitals.
They will offer services like consultation, oral examination, extractions, and temporary and permanent fillings. Patients will be served faster, and dentists will expand their services to more patients through the same model as the Free GP programme.
$500,000 have been allocated for this initiative.
$200,000 has been allocated to incentivise private GPs to open up new surgeries or clinics in rural areas; such as areas like Nawaicoba, Malolo, Naidovi, Drasa, Sabeto, Seaqaqa, Dreketi and Nasarawaqa.
Click to read: 2021-2022 Revised Budget Estimates
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