Health Minister Dr Lalabalavu on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan

Health Minister, Doctor Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan.

Watch the LIVE video here;

Good news for the people as the remaining four operating theatres at CWM Hospital will be completed in the next three months bringing all eight theatres into full operation.

Minister for Health, Doctor Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu confirmed this during the fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan.

When asked what was the delay, Dr Lalabalavu says the Ministry of Infrastructure has been allocated the money for infrastructure improvement however, he does not know why it is taking so long.

The Minister says the theatre issue was brought to his attention in June last year, and he was assured that the infrastructure work at CWM Hospital would be prioritised.

He says they have pushed the Ministry of Infrastructure to get things done as service delivery is delayed.

The Minister says they are also mindful of the fact that there are capacity issues within the relevant ministries to carry out the work.

Dr Lalabalavu says there is a backlog of surgeries and they have been operating with four theatres for some time now.

The Minister says he has been told that the four working theatres are in emergency mode and a discussion has been held with surgeons about an alternative site to do surgeries which was done last year.

When asked if he has taken the delay matter up to the cabinet, he says that he has taken it to the highest level of decision-making and he has been given the assurance that support will be given to them.

The Minister says lives have been lost and they could have done something but if something is not done then we will keep losing lives at the theatres.

Meanwhile, Dr Lalabalavu says to solve the 30-year-old lift issue, they have purchased four lifts which will arrive at the end of this month and then it will take another two months to install those lifts.

He says currently only two lifts are working.

When asked about the offer from the International Women's Association Fiji President Judy Compain for a new lift, he says they have to ensure that work is not replicated.

He adds that they had already budgeted for the lifts, however, they will always welcome the IWA and the work they do.

The Government of Australia has committed another $14.5 million for infrastructure upgrades for the hospital.

As public frustration over the state of healthcare in Fiji grows, the Minister for Health, Doctor Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu confirms that the Ministry has realised that they are playing a catch-up game across nearly all aspects of the service delivery.

Dr Lalabalavu highlighted this during the fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan when asked if they are playing a catch-up game, which is resulting in a lot of neglect.

He says looking after the Ministry is a challenge in itself but to play catch-up from 16 years of neglect adds more challenge to the work that needs to be done.

When asked why is this happening, he says since taking office he has noticed that most of the infrastructure was not well maintained.

The Minister says equipment, consumables and working conditions are the challenges that he has faced and he has allowed the staff and association to come in and make submissions.

He says they have to go back to human resources and see how they can beef up the biomedical team to enable them to go out and do servicing on time.

Dr Lalabalavu says some hospitals have received new medical equipment but their ability to utilize these machines has been hindered by electricity load issues.

The Minister says they have requested budgetary allocation with the submission given by the Medical Superintendent and staff that work at the CWM Hospital.

He further says there is also an ongoing partnership with one of the development partners in terms of the Master Plan.

Dr Lalabalavu says they are trying their best to ensure things are done in a timely manner with the allocation granted for the infrastructure improvement.

However, there are challenges that they as a Ministry face and the work that needs to be done is somehow beyond them.

The Health Ministry remains committed to addressing these longstanding issues, but the road to improvement will require significant investment and coordinated efforts.

The CWM Master Plan will include provisions for expanding the Maternity Unit, however, refurbishment such as roof changes and painting of the existing infrastructure are needed.

Minister for Health, Doctor Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu highlighted this during fijivillage Straight Talk interview with Vijay Narayan, when asked about the plan, as women go through traumatic experiences including unhygienic toilet and bathroom facilities at the CWM Maternity Unit.

Dr. Lalabalavu says while the initial plan was to expand the Maternity Unit, the projects were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He says one positive thing that the previous government did was to establish the Makoi Birthing Unit, which has effectively decentralised maternity services in the Suva-Nausori corridor.

When asked about improving cleaning services, the Minister says that a review of outsourced cleaning contracts is essential to ensure infection control guidelines are strictly followed to meet the required standards.

He adds that the corporate sector has adopted different wards to assist the government in improving services.

He says as the focus is to improve infrastructure upgrades, certain wards are always occupied and only smaller works can be done within those wards. Dr. Lalabalavu acknowledged the support they have received from both local and international religious organizations and individuals.

When asked about facilities at other hospitals, the Minister adds that the challenges are similar, with infrastructure improvements and human resource issues being key concerns.

Meanwhile, the master plan will be undertaken in three phases over the next several years and the first two phases will include a clinical services plan and a comprehensive options analysis to determine the best option for the hospital’s redevelopment.

The final phase will be the development of a detailed master plan and designs for a new hospital, which meets the Government’s vision of a modern, resilient, and patient-centred healthcare system and the requirements of potential partners to finance the construction phase.