Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says the Health Ministry is now employing the services of retired doctors, nurses and midwives as we battle the second wave of COVID-19.
He says these staff must be fully vaccinated and they should not have any comorbidities.
Dr. Fong says the Ministry also has the ability to train non-medical people to be able to do some other functions like pushing patients along corridors and transferring people.
Meanwhile, Australia New Zealand Medical Assistance Team Leader, Doctor Brian Spain says the Fijian health system is clearly under stress as is every health system in the world but what they have seen in Fiji is that the country has a very sophisticated and elaborate health system in all aspects of healthcare from public health, primary health care through the acute care sector in hospitals and the FEMAT system which was able to step up and provide additional services.
Dr. Spain says clearly there are challenges in supplying equipment, getting it in the right place at the right time but the processes are underway to do that, and they have been working with Dr. Fong and all the staff in the Ministry to address any issues as they arise.
He says they know that those teams are working seven days a week-long into the night to identify problems and address them.
Dr. Spain adds he knows that through all the work that everyone is doing in the health service and by Fijians themselves obeying all the movement constraints and getting themselves vaccinated, this will come to an end and everyone should have faith that there will be an end to it.
