With less than four months remaining for the general elections, another party is now raising concern about the health facilities and services in the country.
The General Secretary of the Social Democratic Liberal Party Pio Tabaiwalu also claims that the major medical reforms recently announced by the Prime Minister are allegedly intended to buy votes for the general election on 17th September.
Tabaiwalu said the proposed medical reforms are coming in too late to have a favourable impact on the Government at the forthcoming general election.
He said our health system needs a massive overhaul starting from the most basic of services, to the state of amenities in our hospitals, availability of skilled personnel and the spread of lifestyle diseases.
SODELPA which is made up of the former SDL party that was in government from 2001 to 2006 now said many Ministry of Health facilities are in disgraceful conditions.
Tabaiwalu said outpatients are tired of long waits for attention and the colonial style filing systems containing their medical records still remain.
He said while the government brags about taking Fiji into the era of the internet and computer technology, it has failed to invest in basic data systems to give faster and more efficient service to the people attending hospitals and health centres.
However Tabaiwalu has expressed concern that major reforms will be undertaken by the government so close to the election.
He said by convention caretaker administrations should not undertake major policy changes or major capital expenditure.
Tabaiwalu said SODELPA will improve health services if they are elected to form the next government.
They have not stated how this will be done.
We will speak to them about this later today.
We have also sought comments from the Minister for Health, Doctor Neil Sharma and Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor Eloni Tora. We are yet to receive a response.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama revealed last week that major reforms and basic up-grade to medical facilities and services will be carried out in the next few months.
He said this reform is also a result of his office closely monitoring the public medical service delivery.
The Prime Minister said public medical service delivery does not only relate to the ratio of doctors to patients but the attitude of medical staff towards their clients who are both out and inpatients.
He said this includes the level of compassion, empathy and sensitivity shown by our medical staff.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
