Nurses buying syringes and needles for patients at public hospital

Serious concerns continue to be raised by Fiji Nursing Association President, Doctor Adi Alisi Vudiniabola on nurses having to buy needles and syringes for patients as the patients are expected to buy this when they go to the public hospital.

This has been confirmed by nurses at CWM Hospital that they buy these supplies when some patients and their families do not have money to buy the syringes and needles for emergency procedures.

Vudiniabola is asking why people have to buy these things at the Government hospital as this should be supplied by the government.

She also raises concerns that nurses have to share one administering tray for about 3 or more patients, and this is unacceptable.

When questioned by fijivillage News, the Ministry of Health says the practice of asking patients to buy medical supplies such as needles have been a practice that have been implemented in the past, which the Ministry is hoping to address and stop.

It was also highlighted by Vudiniabola that nurses and security guards had to carry women in labour down the stairs as the lift was not working at CWM Hospital.

When questioned, the Ministry says it is aware that the aged lifts at the CWM Hospital have not been operating as optimally as expected.

The Ministry says while they continue to engage the suppliers to attend to the lifts as the need arises, the government has allocated funding to procure four new lifts to replace the old lifts in this financial year.

It says the procurement processes for the new lifts are well underway, and they will effectively address the breakdown issues that the hospital is facing with its current lifts.