Labour is lying again – Professor Prasad

As usual, the Leader of the Fiji Labour Party is lying again.

This is the response from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad, on behalf of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Health Minister Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu after Fiji Labour Party Leader Mahendra Chaudhry said in a statement that they are shocked to learn that an offer by the Indian government two years ago to provide dialysis machines and sea ambulances to Fiji was rejected by the Fiji Government.

Professor Prasad says the offer of dialysis machines and sea ambulance was never refused, and it is part of the many initiatives that the Fiji government is working with the Indian government to undertake in Fiji.

He says Chaudhry should not embarrass himself by lying about the relationship between Fiji and India.

The Minister says the relationship between Fiji and India has never been this close and strategic in the many decades of their relationship.

He adds in the last two years, they have had more than 20 Ministerial visits from Fiji to India and several high-level visits from India to Fiji.

Professor Prasad says these include the visit by the External Affairs Minister, Dr Jai Shankar, in February 2023 and the State Minister for External Affairs as a Guest of Honour during the Girmit celebrations in May 2023.

He adds Fiji hosted the President of India to Fiji and conferred the highest honour of Fiji to her.

Professor Prasad says the Prime Minister of Fiji met Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in PNG, where the 100-bed superspecialty hospital to be built in Fiji was announced.

He says Rabuka also conferred the highest honour to Prime Minister Modi in PNG.

He also says the project will begin soon as discussions started very early in the Coalition Government’s term.

Professor Prasad says Chaudhry has embarrassed himself, his party and Fiji before by not disclosing the funds he received from India and keeping it in his Australian bank account, and for that, he was charged and convicted.

He says since the Coalition Government came to power, the relationship with India has reached new heights and will continue to flourish.

Meanwhile, Fiji Labour Party Leader Mahendra Chaudhry had called on the Prime Minister and Finance Minister to tell the nation why they rejected the offer from India to provide dialysis machines and sea ambulances to Fiji even though the Health Ministry is pleading with India for such vital resources.

He says the offer was made at the same time as Modi promised a 100-bed super-speciality cardiac hospital for the region to be set up in Fiji at a cost of $US100 million to be fully funded by the Indian government.

He further says it is improper of Professor Prasad to claim it as a Coalition government initiative in a recent Budget-consultation meeting in Nadi.

Chaudhry says Professor Prasad was misleading the nation when he said that the Coalition was negotiating with the Government of India for a 100-bed hospital to be built in Nasinu.

He adds that they have been informed the hospital is a unilateral pledge from India under its Act East Policy and South-South Cooperation.

The FLP Leader says it is to benefit the entire region, not just Fiji.

Chaudhry says it was part of a 12-point development plan for Pacific Island nations announced by Prime Minister Modi at the 2023 forum held in Papua New Guinea.

He says the major concern here is why the Fiji government declined India’s offer of dialysis machines and sea ambulances two years ago.

He adds our kidney patients have been crying out against the high cost of undergoing dialysis, and if we had accepted India’s offer, it would have brought immediate relief to hundreds of patients, many of whom struggle to meet the high costs.

Chaudhry says sea ambulances would have provided better emergency services for people in the outer islands where access to healthcare remains a significant challenge.

He says Labour understands that the Foreign Affairs Ministry had said at the time that there was “no need” for them, which shows a shocking lack of compassion and sensitivity to the needs of our ordinary people, most of whom can barely afford expensive medical services.

The FLP Leader demands answers from the Coalition government as to why two years later such critical medical equipment has not been accepted.

He says our people are crying daily for better, up-to-date healthcare facilities yet the government appears to be dragging its feet.