We are cleaning and renovating the Maternity Unit at CWM hospital - Health Ministry

The Health Ministry has clarified that they are cleaning and renovating the Labour Ward at the CWM Hospital’s Maternity Unit however none of the baby deliveries have been affected as all the services have been temporarily relocated to the Birthing Unit.

Acting Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor Josefa Koroivueta says there is no flea issue in the Labour Ward.

Some doctors and nurses had said to some expecting mothers and their husbands that the Labour Ward is closed due to a flea issue.

Doctor Koroivueta says the renovation and cleanup of the Labour Ward is long overdue and they are changing the ceiling, painting the ward and doing a full clean up.

CWM Hospital Medical Superintenden Doctor Jemesa Tudravu says the work at the Labour Ward will take 14 days.

Doctor Koroivueta says the maternity services at the CWM Hospital remain undisrupted and all services are operating normally.

When asked by Fijivillage, the Health Ministry had earlier said that there may be fleas in the Labour Ward.

The Ministry now says that contrary to false rumours and irresponsible reporting, there is no outbreak of fleas at CWM.

Fijivillage has reported from yesterday that the Ministry of Health says there is no outbreak of fleas however the Labour Ward services have been relocated because there may be fleas.

Head of the Maternity Unit, Doctor James Fong says this was the right time to cleanup and renovate the Labour Ward because the delivery rate is low at this stage.

Meanwhile a 26‑year‑old man had earlier told Fijivillage that his wife was admitted at the CWM Hospital's Maternity Unit from Thursday and the doctor and nurses have told him that his wife is on a waiting list for delivery.

He says the medical officials have told him that all the deliveries are currently taking place at the Birthing Unit.

They had said that as soon as the delivery room gets free, they will take her and induce her.

The husband was not told any other information and he was told that his wife’s name was the only one on the waiting list since Thursday.

When asked on the issue, Doctor James Fong clarified that the induction list is based on the seriousness of the case and they cannot have a number of women in labour at the same time.

He says this is an active list which keeps changing depending on the expecting mother’s situation.