The Fiji Nursing Association was expecting a 5 percent pay rise for civil servants; however, the government has approved a 3 percent increase, which the association has accepted, noting that the majority of the National Budget was directed towards strengthening the health system.
Nursing Association President, Miliakere Nasorovakawalu says although the 3 percent increase has been awarded to their members and nursing staff, the association will continue to pursue collective bargaining and agreements to improve the terms and conditions of service.
Nasorovakawalu says this includes ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Health, ASPEN, the Ministry of Civil Service, and other relevant government institutions on key priorities such as maritime allowances, overtime rates for midwives, mental health risk allowances, and other risk-related compensations.
Nasorovakawalu says strong health systems are essential to their members, and she welcomes the prioritisation of resources such as infrastructure maintenance, drugs, consumables, and biomedical equipment, all of which support effective health service delivery.
She adds that they are pleased with the increased budget allocation to the Ministry of Health, as well as to Aspen hospitals in Ba and Lautoka.
The President says these two institutions are where the majority of their members provide health services to meet the needs of the people, often with minimal or no cost to patients.
Nasorovakawalu also highlighted that over the past two years, they have observed a steady increase in the Ministry of Health’s budget, which she sees as a clear indication that the government is taking bold steps to address the social challenges the ministry is facing—including the rising incidence of HIV and drug-related cases, as well as growing mental health concerns.
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