International Women's Association Fiji President, Judy Compain and Minister for Health, Doctor Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu
International Women's Association Fiji President, Judy Compain has today clarified that their reports confirm that the identified water leaks at the CWM Hospital's Ante-Natal Clinic are entirely unrelated to the IWA project.
This follows recent public statements which implied that water leaks at the Ante-Natal Clinic were linked to the IWA-Bathrooms Project completed in 2023.
Compain says independent inspections and technical assessments were carried out by Temo Consulting and Shiri Singh and Associates who support IWA projects on a voluntary basis.
Compain says following an inspection of the Ante-Natal Clinic yesterday, their reports confirm that the identified water leaks are entirely unrelated to the IWA project.
She says the IWA-Bathrooms Project was strictly limited to approved bathroom renovations and upgrades to hot and cold water supply systems.
No drainage, sewer, decommissioning, or alterations to existing drainage infrastructure were undertaken.
Compain highlights that the location, nature, and source of the leaks do not correspond with the scope of works, approved designs, or hydraulic drawings associated with the IWA-funded project.
She says IWA fully supports the Ministry of Health’s ongoing investigation and has provided relevant documentation to assist with a comprehensive and transparent review.
She adds given that recent statements may have been reasonably interpreted as implying responsibility, International Women's Association (IWA) Fiji respectfully requests a public clarification to ensure it is clear that IWA, its contractors, and its engineers were not responsible for the leaks.
Compain says this is essential to safeguard the reputation of IWA and the professional engineers who voluntarily support community health infrastructure projects as part of their commitment to social responsibility.
When we approached Minister for Health, Doctor Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu to clarify the issue based on the Ministry's earlier statement, he said he will speak after the investigation.
The Ministry for Health and the CWM Hospital management had said on Tuesday that they had acted immediately to investigate and resolve the water leak at the hospital’s Ante-Natal Clinic.
This followed concerns raised by Judy Compain who described the situation as a leaking disaster.
The Ministry said a water leakage at the Clinic was identified and the hospital’s maintenance team, under the direction of the Medical Superintendent, conducted an initial assessment, confirming that the source of the leak was an old drainage pipe.
It says the pipe had been sealed off during renovations to the maternity washrooms, carried out by an interest group, and the seal had loosened over time, causing the water leakage.
The Ministry says repairs to the broken pipe have been completed, and the Ante-Natal Clinic area has been cleaned and restored, ensuring the clinic is safe, functional, and ready to receive patients.
In light of this incident, the Minister for Health, Dr Atonio Lalabalavu, directed that a detailed investigation be conducted to verify the initial findings and determine the long-term remediation measures required.
The Minister has also ordered a temporary pause on any future renovation work by the contractors involved in the initial washroom project, pending the outcome of the verification process.
