Government to announce final salary increases for doctors next week

Government will be announcing the final salary increases for doctors next week, as determined by the job evaluations.

This was announced by the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama while opening the Fiji Medical Association Annual Scientific Conference at Pearl Resort in Pacific Harbor.

Bainimarama says as part of the reforms, doctor's jobs have been evaluated as the Job Evaluation Leadership Team is currently finalising additional moderations to their salaries.

He says one big change that has been finalised is that on call allowances will now be paid out separately, so they can ensure that process is transparent as possible.

The Prime Minister says government is doing this because they value doctors and they are doing this to set expectations for the professionalism and commitment to service that is expected from everyone.

Bainimarama says they are establishing a system that rewards on the basis of merit, and merit alone and not on who they may know or where they may come from, but on talent, abilities and commitment.

The Prime Minister says doctors should expect further substantial reforms in the not so distant future and which are currently being driven behind the scenes by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and Economy in partnership with some external expertise.

The Prime Minister has also called on doctors never to forget that the patients they serve are ordinary men and women and they have anxieties, concerns and questions.

Bainimarama says these are questions doctors need to be there to answer as it is all about communication.

He says depending on how doctors handle those interactions and on the effort they put in with each patient, they can be seen as a voice of comfort and reason, or as a cold and distant operator.