The angiogram at CWM Hospital has been fixed and National Kidney and Research Centre is fully operational

The angiogram at the CWM Hospital has been fixed however there are still some technical issues that needed to be sorted out while the National Kidney and Research Centre is fully operational.

National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad had said on Monday that the angiogram at the CWM Hospital is not working and they have been told that patients requiring tests relating to kidney ailments are referred by doctors to a private based specialist.

Professor Prasad also says they visited the National Kidney and Research Centre two weeks ago only to find it closed and used syringes and needles coated with blood lying outside in a yellow bag.

He says repeated calls to the Centre remained unanswered.

The Acting Medical Superintendent of CWM Hospital Doctor Luke Nasedra has told Legend FM News that the angiogram was fixed two days ago and doctors have used it for some cases as well. We have visited the National Kidney and Research Centre in Nadera which is operational and we have been told that it was not closed two weeks ago.

When questioned today, Professor Prasad maintained that the Centre was closed when they had visited a few weeks ago.

He adds the angiogram must have been fixed after their release on Monday and they are glad that this has been done because it will help a lot of people.

The NFP Leader says the Health Ministry needs to come out and tell the people that the angiogram is now operational and organize the bookings so that people who are on the list can access the service for free.

Professor Prasad also says the state of decay of the public hospitals and health facilities as well as its inability to provide decent medical care to the people is a scourge on the nation.

He says as the COVID-19 crisis subsides, the basic problems of Fiji’s health system once again return to view.

Prasad says they receive phone calls and emails on a daily basis about serious issues in the hospitals and health centres around the country.

He says hospitals lack basic medicine and tests cannot be done because of a lack of basic testing equipment and materials.

Professor Prasad also says hospital buildings and outbuildings are in such a shocking state that it is impossible even to keep them clean which is a basic need for any health facility. He adds doctors, nurses, patients and their families highlight to them the decay in our health facilities in the hope that the party can bring attention to this.

Professor Prasad says Fiji has received hundreds of millions of dollars from Japan, Australia and New Zealand and has questioned how much of this money has been re-invested in our health system.

We have sent questions to the Minister for Health Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete on the concerns raised by Professor Prasad.

He is yet to respond.