Today I needed Savusavu Hospital the most. My 76-year-old father had fish poisoning. To my disbelief ….no doctor even bothered to visit him from 6.30am to 7.45am. I had to look for a wheelchair to put him on. And when on it I couldn’t push it to the emergency ward. The wheels were jammed. I had to carry him.

It took 15 mins for the ward attendant to attend to him. Then my father wanted to visit the toilet. I had to carry him again as the wheelchair won’t go in either way because the openings of the toilet were less than the width of the wheelchair.

He just didn’t want to attend to his needs as the toilet floor was flooded because of a leaking cistern. There was no toilet paper.

Vanity was hanging off the walls even after a recent renovation work to the whole hospital with major contributions from concerned Savusavu citizens including me.

I brought him back to the emergency ward and waited. Still no doctor as he was doing his morning round in the wards.

At 7.45am I had enough and lifted him up and drove him to Zens Medical. To my surprise seven staff members rushed towards my dad to help. Even the doctor was there to attend. All of a sudden I felt invited. I felt more comfortable.

I felt at ease. He was in a comfort zone. He was in the right hands. He smiled at me and said now I am in a better place. Now I know I will make it through and go back home.

Home he is now.

He said to me; “Once we go to the hospital, we want to get cured and come back home. He said he is now afraid to go to the Savusavu Hospital as he might not return home. He came across so many friends that had the same story.

Thanks to Zens Medical and its staff. Awesome service.

A big no thanks at all to Savusavu Hospital and its staff and the doctor on call.

Now I know what the public health system in Fiji is all about. Feel so sorry for the poor and disadvantaged.

Health is wealth. We don’t mind spending. We got vehicles. Not other people have. People actually walk up to these hospitals. Please do attend to them.

Once a 70-year-old doctor friend told me when I visited him in his surgery. He said he hated this profession.

He said he used to have so much pride in serving the people. He did not even accept payments from some of his poor patients. After some time he felt that he needed the patients more than ever before to increase his bank balance. So he gave up and retired.

It’s very true that people before used to eat food as medicines. Now we eat medicines as food.

The public health system in Fiji is a shame. No wonder the former A-G ran away to Singapore to get treated. He knows all too well what’s on offer here and why, and who is responsible.

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