Doctor Alipate Vakamocea on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan

The process that Government and the Ministry of Health are using when it comes to the Fiji Procurement Office and the Ministry of Finance is that they have to get three quotes for medicine when they run out.

Fiji Medical Association President Dr Alipate Vakamocea highlighted this on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan saying whether it be panadol or amoxicillin they need three quotes.

He says medicine shortage will continue with the current system in place.

Dr Vakamocea says out-of-stock drugs means delay in care, meaning that somebody is not receiving the ideal care, and that could cause issues.

He says these consumables are not made in Fiji, so the Fiji Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Services Centre now has to look outside Fiji and get three quotes and make sure that they are quality approved which adds to the delays.

The FMA President says it is interesting because they may have these issues in the Ministry of Health, but Aspen and Oceania do not have them because their systems and processes are designed specifically for efficiency.

One of the issues that people have raised is mainly about blood pressure tablets as most of the time they are out of stock, or they cannot go and buy at the private pharmacies because it is too expensive. The FMA President says the Head of FPBS will have a list of all the essential drugs, all the medications and consumables that are out of stock and that list has never changed.

He says while the names on the list would change, the length has remained the same.

Dr Vakamocea says they will always have these issues until they have some solid commitment to changing the way that they do ordering, especially for drugs, medicines, consumables and biomedical equipment.

He adds unless that changes, they are going to walk down this path next year, and the years to come.

The Fiji Medical Association hopes that a new sister hospital will be completed soon to support the ageing infrastructure of the Colonial War Memorial Hospital.

While speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan, Association President, Dr. Alipate Vakamocea raised concerns about the state of CWM Hospital and the challenges faced by doctors.

He says that CWM has surpassed its functional lifespan, but the CWM Master Plan will address these issues.

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He says the plan includes constructing a “new sister” hospital to support CWM in the coming years which he hopes will be completed soon to relieve the strain on Fiji’s largest hospital.

Dr. Vakamocea also extends gratitude to donor partners for their support in this effort.

Fiji’s lack of full adherence to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is driving a sharp increase in non-communicable diseases, putting more pressure on the country’s healthcare system.

This concern was highlighted by Fiji Medical Association President Dr. Alipate Vakamocea, on Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan.

Dr. Vakamocea says inadequate enforcement of tobacco control is worsening the health crisis.

He further says government engagement with the tobacco industry also sends mixed messages, making it harder to reduce tobacco-related health risks.

He says they used to have public health nursing focused on preventing conditions like NCDs, but now these nurses are redirected to handle urgent cases in hospitals and health centres, leaving prevention neglected.

Dr. Vakamocea says the impact is seen clearly in the increase in diabetes cases, with amputations now common even among younger people.

He says many individuals in their 20s and 30s are now dependent on walking aids or wheelchairs after suffering severe complications.

He adds that surgical teams are struggling to keep up with the number of cases, as more patients require amputations due to severe infections related to diabetes.

Dr. Vakamocea says the budget cuts have further limited the country’s ability to address NCDs.

He says reduced funding for wellness and family health programs has meant fewer resources for public health awareness and prevention efforts.

He adds that without adequate funding and staffing for preventive programs, Fiji’s NCD rates continue to grow.

Dr. Vakamocea says there is a need for more public health campaigns that encourage healthier lifestyle choices and reduce the risk of NCDs.

There is no other option but to live with the super-bugs detected multiple times in a year at the acute wards at CWM Hospital because it is the only facility which provides various critical services and there is no option to close it to renovate and clear the multi drug resistant organisms.

That is the comment of Fiji Medical Association President, Doctor Alipate Vakamocea after questions raised by people on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan regarding the super-bugs detected multiple times a year, people catching these super-bugs while being admitted and some even dying from it.

Doctor Vakamocea says the only option is infection prevention and control.

He admits if this was a private facility, it would have been closed as a danger to the community (just like restaurants are closed) for unhygienic practices.

We are awaiting a response from the Ministry of Health.

The Fiji Medical Association says they are very concerned and puzzled on why the budget in certain areas for Saint Giles Hospital was reduced when it is the only psychiatric hospital in the country dealing with people with mental health, and also getting flooded with drugs cases.

While speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan, Association President, Doctor Alipate Vakamocea says the patients at Saint Giles Hospital are getting younger and many patients are coming high on drugs.

Doctor Vakamocea says we know the issue, and it is time to fix it.

He says we do not have a drug rehabilitation centre which we needed yesterday and a hospital like Saint Giles needs to be supported.

He adds the facility is very run down, and it is like putting a band aid solution on a flood.