Following questions by the Opposition on medicine shortage being faced by patients despite a $31.8 million allocation in the 2026-2027 National Budget, Minister for Health Doctor Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu says improved stock monitoring and training will help address medicine shortages.
While debating the Health Ministry's allocation in the 2026-2027 National Budget, Opposition MP Premila Kumar says they often hear that the hospitals run out of medications, and patients are given a list to go and buy with their own money, despite $31.8 million being allocated for consumables and medicines.
While responding, Dr Lalabalavu says the shortages are caused by a number of factors, including global shortages of certain medicines and operational issues where staff at health facilities fail to update medicine stock levels.
He says the Ministry's supply system is now connected online across all health facilities in Fiji, allowing staff to update medicine stocks electronically.
The Minister says the Ministry has also strengthened the department through additional staffing in the last budget, while delivery teams now verify medicine stock levels during deliveries and train nurses and doctors at nursing stations, health centres and subdivisional hospitals on how to properly update their stock records.
Dr Lalabalavu says these are the two main issues the Ministry is addressing to help reduce medicine shortages.
Kumar also raised concerns regarding the cleanliness of CWM Hospital, with complaints about dirty wards and unhygienic conditions continuing despite a $2.7 million allocation for outsourced cleaning services.
Dr Lalabalavu says contractors can be penalised if they fail to meet the required standards.
However, when asked whether any action had ever been taken against the contractor, the Minister said he would have to come back with that information.
Opposition MP Ketan Lal also questioned whether funding had been allocated to address the power supply issues that had prevented the X-ray machine at Labasa Hospital from operating and also asked why there was no specific allocation for the installation of a three-phase power supply for the hospital's new CT scan.
Dr Lalabalavu clarified that the budget allocation was for interior upgrade works at Labasa Hospital and confirmed that the three-phase power supply has already been completed.
He says the hospital is now awaiting the arrival of the CT scan supplier in August to commission the new machine.
