As dengue cases rise in the country, the Ministry of Health confirms that intravenous (IV) fluids are not out of stock.
Some medical experts have said that the IV stocks are running low as the only way to deal with dengue is panadol and fluids.
The Ministry says they are concerned with the misinformation reported in the media this morning, and they have also stated on record in previous media interviews the current global shortage of IV fluids, which is expected to continue through 2025 with supply constraints.
They say the Ministry is doing its utmost best to ensure the timely supply to more than 200 healthcare facilities in the country.
It says through the Fiji Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Services (FPBS), the Ministry had received 3,000 units of IV fluids last week, and another 4,200 units are yet to be cleared by the Fiji Procurement Office (FPO).
They added that FPBS have also placed continuous orders for IV fluids in the next few days.
The Ministry says the Fiji Centre for Communicable Disease Control (FCDC) records indicate that about 10 percent of dengue cases may develop severe disease, which will require more specific and even intensive medical attention.
They say these cases are the ones that need hospital admissions and will need the use of IV fluids and platelets for treatment.
Moreover, the Ministry further says the recent dengue cases reported within Fiji have indicated that there are less severe cases and most of them are managed at the Sub-Divisional healthcare facilities.
In addition, the Ministry wishes to clarify that HIV medication is also in stock.
As for the remarks made by the Fiji Medical Association president, Dr Alipate Vakamocea, the Ministry says they are optimistic that the current supply of IV fluids is sufficient to meet the surge in dengue cases.
The Ministry is urging the Fiji Medical Association and the media to obtain factual information before misinforming the public on these crucial issues, as it may cause panic and fear among members of the public.
In addition, the Ministry continues to urge members of the public to take ownership of their health and to clean their compounds and surroundings, as this is one of the most effective ways to keep your loved ones safe from dengue.
Meanwhile, there is still no confirmation on when the Ministry will declare an outbreak of Dengue Fever and Leptospirosis in the country as the Ministry has recorded more than 5,000 cases of dengue and more than 800 leptospirosis cases in the first three months of this year.
According to the Health Ministry, 5,128 dengue cases were recorded from the 1st of January to the 23rd of March this year, and in the same period, there were 818 leptospirosis cases.
The only dengue outbreak declaration was given for the Western Division on the 3rd of February when the cases were above 200.
As of now, there are 2,841 laboratory-confirmed cases recorded in the West, the Central Division recorded 1,090 cases with numbers rising, the Northern Division recorded 1,095 cases, and the Eastern Division recorded 102 laboratory-confirmed cases.
Leptospirosis cases from the 1st of January to the 23rd of March this year stand at 818 cases nationally.
The Central Division has recorded 307 cases to date, 228 cases from the Northern Division, 252 cases from the Western Division, and 31 cases from the Eastern Division.
Typhoid cases from the 1st of January to the 23rd of March stand at 31 laboratory-confirmed cases with 16 cases from the Western Division, 9 cases in the Central Division, 5 cases from the Northern Division and 1 laboratory-confirmed case recorded in the Eastern Division.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has confirmed that the cause of the death of one of the two students from Ba is dengue fever.
The Ministry is conducting Adult Mosquito Spraying (AMS) and is also working in collaboration with the Municipal Councils in their fight against dengue.
We have sent questions to the Health Ministry on when they will declare a dengue and leptospirosis outbreak in Fiji.
They are yet to respond.
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