Staffing challenges continue in Health Ministry – Dr. Lalabalavu

As people continue to raise concerns about hospital services and resource availability, Minister for Health Doctor Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu confirms that staffing remains a major challenge for the ministry, with the workforce currently operating at only 70 percent capacity.

Speaking during fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan, Dr Lalabalavu says while efforts are being made to improve the situation, the current staffing limitations mean they can only do so much.

When asked how they are ensuring that lives are not at risk despite these challenges, the Minister stressed that they aim to save lives and promote a healthier population.

He says despite the difficulties, healthcare workers must remain committed to delivering essential services and saving lives.

When asked about the $80 million unspent from the last financial budget and returned to the Ministry of Finance by MOH, Dr Lalabalavu clarified that a significant portion of the unused funds was allocated for human resources and capital expenditure.

The Minister says their ability to utilize them depends on the Ministry of Infrastructure, which oversees project implementation and to ensure better budget utilization they are identifying specific programs and initiatives.

When asked why aren't the positions filled, the Minister says people are going even though they are hiring, and there is a need for more doctors and nurses, but the capacity for learning is still the same.

He further says 90 percent of the doctors’ positions have been filled and they are not leaving in droves however the senior nurses continue to leave.

The Minister admitted that retaining experienced healthcare workers, especially nurses is a significant challenge.

He says new graduates from universities or nursing schools can’t immediately replace the experienced ones.

Dr. Lalabalavu stressed the need for better incentives to retain dedicated nurses, recognizing their invaluable contributions to the healthcare system.

He urged the public to be patient as they work towards strengthening healthcare services.

The Minister says that they are not a eight to five organization as the Ministry of Civil Service earlier said that there will be no overtime paid for x-ray and lab services.

He adds that they had a good discussion with the Ministry that some of the specialised units are understaffed and they need to be incentivised with overtime so that they can continue the work that they do.