Waqainabete confirms pap smear test still being conducted despite claims by Qereqeretabua that women have not been able to get a pap smear since November

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete has confirmed that pap smear tests are still being conducted despite claims by National Federation Party MP, Lenora Qereqeretabua that since November last year, Fijian women have not been able to get a pap smear because the laboratories do not have the filters to carry out proper tests.

He says Qereqeretabua has misled parliament by saying that there were issues with cervical cancer tests because the pap smear tests were not available.

Waqainabete highlighted this while speaking during the 2020/2021 National Budget debate.

He says they had bought a new testing machine but they had issues with it.

However Waqainabete says they have several ways of doing cervical cancer testing as they use pap smear as a automated and manual method, and the machine is also fixed.

Waqainabete also confirmed that a door at CWM hospital that NFP President Pio Tikoduadua highlighted was not fixed for 6 months, has been fixed and if it is bad again, they will fix it again.

He told Tikoduadua that the next time he wants to take a picture of something in the hospital he will need to follow the normal routine by going to the medical superintendent and saying that he wants to take a picture.

Tikoduadua says last year he saw the same door not fixed and yesterday he went to CWM and saw that was still not fixed.