Minister for Health and Medical Services Jone Usamate called on all nurses around the country to show more improvement as others around the world are doing better than Fiji.
While speaking at the opening of the 58th Annual General Meeting of the Fiji Nursing Association at the Suva Civic Auditorium, Usamate urged nurses to show care and compassion when treating patients.
Usamate said that the theme for the meeting – A Force for Change – Cost Effective and Care Effective can only be achieved by delivering the right results and rekindling the passion to show care to the patients and customers.
He was concerned that 80% of our hospital beds are occupied by NCD patients.
Usamate also said that the Bainimarama Government has health as a priority and some of the changes made are the ‘Free Medicine’ initiative recently launched, extension of health care services and new health centres.
Usamate said that they need nurses who are energetic and energize the rest of the people around them.
He further mentioned that nurses should have the edge to make different decisions and execute to deliver.
Usamate also added that Fiji and other Pacific Island countries are facing shortage of nurses and we are improving on that by increasing the intake of nurses every year and there will be structural changes for nurses to have a career path in specialist areas.
