Fiji Medical Association President, Doctor Alipate Vakamocea admits they are struggling with the provision of healthcare service delivery due to theshortage of nurses.
Doctor Vakamocea revealed on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan that doctors return to check on critically ill patients only to find essential orders still pending, while nurses struggle with overwhelming workloads with morale at an all-time low and burnout rising across the system.
He says high-risk areas should ideally have one nurse for every two to four patients but many wards have only one nurse for every ten patients, severely straining staff and impacting critical care.
He says while recent pay raises have slowed doctor departures, many nurses are leaving for jobs abroad, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, while doctors shift to private practice within Fiji.
Dr. Vakamocea says if the issue remains unaddressed, Fiji’s healthcare system will continue to operate in crisis mode, lacking the staff essential to ensure safe and effective patient care.
He says without a solution-focused dialogue, the shortage will only worsen and Fiji’s healthcare system will face mounting challenges.
Minister for Health, Doctor Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu was also invited to appear on the show however he sent his apologies.
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