Following concerns raised by residents and patients on the filthy conditions of toilets, broken doors, and taps in Navua Hospital, Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong confirms necessary repair works have completed.
He says there had been issues with the cleanliness and maintenance of the Navua Hospital and the Ministry of Health regrets any inconvenience caused to the patients and visitors.
Patients say there are less doctors for checkups and sometimes they have to sit from morning till lunch time or afternoon to get checked.
They also raised concerns on the cleanliness of the hospital and some have stated that there is a need for proper maintenance.
Dr. Fong says carpenters have already completed the necessary repair works, including fixing the broken doors and taps, and have also purchased and repaired parts for the damaged water pump and water supply has been restored.
Dr Fong says the repair works were part of an ongoing program however, the situation was escalated by the week-long damage to the water pump, which affected the overall condition of the facilities.
He further says in terms of addressing the staffing gaps in the hospitals, Navua Hospital has been relatively less affected by the staff exodus, particularly in the nursing sector, compared to the other five divisions in Central.
The Permanent Secretary says the Ministry of Health is implementing various measures to mitigate the impact of the exodus of nursing staff including retention measures and providing additional support to nurses.
Dr Fong says currently, there are seven Medical Officers and one second-year intern managing the workload at Navua Hospital.
He also says the nursing staff at Navua Hospital are still operating on 8-hour shifts and the Ministry of Health is continuously working to recruit and fill the gaps in nursing and medical staff across all hospitals to optimize healthcare services for the people.
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