President of the Fiji Medical Association, Doctor Alipate Vakamocea has come out today saying the reduced services at CWM Hospital based on the recent changes to civil service overtime remuneration under Circular 14/2024, place both patients and medical professionals in a precarious position.
Doctor Vakamocea says the FMA urges the Government to immediately review the policy decisions affecting Band F health care professionals, and strongly recommend exempting the Ministry of Health from the current overtime policy, recognizing that their roles are critical to the provision of essential health services to the Fijian public.
He also sends out a caution to the public regarding the limitations now present at CWM Hospital and potentially other public health care facilities.
They urge all Fijians to take proactive steps in managing their health, adopting preventive measures, and seeking regular medical advice to avoid conditions that may require emergency medical intervention.
Doctor Vakamocea says the FMA emphasizes that without essential diagnostic tools available around the clock, the doctors are forced to make critical clinical decisions with limited information.
He says this not only jeopardizes accurate diagnosis and comprehensive patient assessments but also substantially increases the risks of delayed or missed diagnoses, potentially resulting in severe consequences, including permanent disability or even death.
The Fiji Medical Association says it has been alerted to the critical situation currently impacting health care services at CWM.
Doctor Vakamocea says the changes to civil service overtime remuneration have directly impacted health care services, particularly for allied health professionals in the Band F salary scale and below.
As a result, several essential services, including Radiology and pharmacy, have been adversely affected.
This has led to disruptions in vital diagnostic services, including X-rays, CT scans, MRI, and Ultrasound imaging, which are now unavailable after 4:30pm and limited during normal working hours.
Additionally, the hospital pharmacy is not operational after hours, creating further barriers to timely and effective patient care.
Doctor Vakamocea says the FMA is particularly concerned about the health and safety implications for patients who may require urgent diagnostic support outside standard operating hours.
The FMA President says for those presenting with acute or emergency conditions, timely access to these essential services are crucial for life-saving interventions.
He says the inability to access these services due to staffing and policy issues places patients at considerable risk and severely limits the capacity of our doctors and health care providers to deliver the standard of care they are committed to providing.
The FMA President says excluding the Ministry of Health Band F workers from overtime compensation not only compromises patient safety but also places an unsustainable burden on our medical teams working in challenging and resource-limited conditions.
He says as doctors they are part of a team, and if that team is not able to function, they cannot guarantee the provision of a safe, effective, timely and patient centered service.
Doctor Vakamocea says failure to act could result in dire consequences that would undermine the public’s trust in our health care system and compromise the well-being of those it serves.
Serious concerns are being raised by the public as the Ministry of Health has decided that radiology services and pharmacies at Government hospitals and health centres close at 4.30pm after the recent circular from the Ministry of Civil Service.
It is being labelled as a backward step in providing health services.
We are currently trying to speak to the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Health wishes to inform members of the public that allegations of Radiology and Pharmacy staff going on strike at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital are false.
They say the CWM Hospital is experiencing a shortage of qualified radiology and pharmacy staff, and the services at the two departments have been temporarily reduced to cater for the current number of staff available in the two departments.
The Ministry says the opening hours for the Radiology Department and the Pharmacy Department at CWM Hospital are now from 8:00am to 4:30pm from Monday to Friday.
They say in addition, emergency radiological investigations afterhours can be referred by the hospital to approved private providers when deemed necessary.
The Ministry says further discussion is in progress on the provision of two services over the weekend, and members of the public will be advised of this arrangement once it is finalised.
They say the staff of the two departments at CWM have not gone on strike, but have adhered to the Ministry of Civil Service’s Circular on Overtime Work and Time-off-in-Lieu (TOIL) for all civil servants which was issued on 1st October 2024.
The Ministry says the Circular limited the compensation of Overtime worked to officers on salary Band E and below, and Nurses on salary Band F.
They say however, it was noted that the absence of Allied Health staff who take Time Off In Lieu was contributing further to the shortage of staff available for services.
The Ministry of Health is in consultation with the Ministry of Civil Service which has acknowledged the public health challenges arising from actions taken to streamline implementations of the Time-Off in Lieu and Overtime management for all Civil Servants.
Permanent Secretary for Civil Service Parmesh Chand reassured that the Ministry is committed to collaborating with the Ministry of Health and will be meeting tomorrow to discuss strategies for workforce sustainability and continued service delivery to the general public.
The Ministry of Health while acknowledging its hardworking staff for their service, is equally mindful of the impact of ongoing staff shortage on patient care, as well as the health and wellbeing of its staff, and is working to ensure that both issues are addressed adequately.
They say on the long standing shortage of Health Care Workers in the country, the Health Ministry has commenced consultations with its partners and stakeholders including the Ministry of Civil Service, and the two health training universities in Fiji – the Fiji National University, and the University of Fiji, on sustainable short and long term solutions to address the health workforce needs for Fiji.
The Ministry of Health says consultations are ongoing and the health workforce plan is anticipated to be finalized and launched in early 2025.
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