Nurses call on the Govt to declare a nursing crisis, nurses getting sick and even dying due to lack of rest - FNA

With the mass exodus of nurses, the shortage of nurses, nurses getting sick and even dying due to lack of rest which is being blamed on the 12 hour shifts, lack of proper equipment and facilities, and lack of supplies to take proper care of the patients, Fiji Nursing Association President, Doctor Adi Alisi Vudiniabola says it is time that the government admits that Fiji has a nursing crisis.

While speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan, Doctor Adi Alisi says they know that CWM Hospital’s operating theatres lost about 95 percent of it’s regular experienced staff.

She says sadly a sister-in-charge passed away next to the theatre last year as she was pulling many shifts due to the shortage of experienced nurses.

She says nurses are leaving in droves and the departure of nurses from the CWM Hospital is concerning.

Doctor Adi Alisi also says they are concerned about everything at the CWM’s maternity hospital.

She says a part of the ceiling had almost fallen on a mother and her baby, and for emergency cases nurses and security guards were carrying mothers down the stairs as the lift was not working.

fijivillage News was also told that the CWM’s Children’s Hospital has a nurse patients ratio of about 1 nurse to 12 patients and some have 1 nurse to 15 patients. Doctor Adi Alisi says this is dangerous and nursing care is seriously compromised.

She says this has been going for years, and is due to poor management and bad leadership.

The Nursing Association President is calling on the government including the Minister for Health, Doctor Atonio Lalabalavu to take urgent action, and also remove the 12 hour shifts for nurses which was supposed to be a temporary measure during the COVID-19 period.

We are currently trying to speak to the Health Ministry.