There is a shortage of pharmacists and highly skilled medical specialists in Fiji say Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed- Khaiyum.

He made this statement while presenting the Registration of Skilled Professional Workers Bill 2016.

“We need to bring these people to provide the relevant quality of service.

“We have a shortage of professionals in many areas in Fiji; for example pharmacists, there is a shortage of pharmacists in Fiji at the moment.”

He said that no one would want to go to open a 24-hour service in Rakiraki or Kadavu. However, there were many people who would take up the opportunity from outside of Fiji.

“Therefore it is necessary to provide an active environment and what this law does it creates a condition which sets up a committee where these people can apply to this committee.

“We are actually getting emails from USA saying that they want to come and carry out cataract surgeries but your council is not allowing these to people to come in; we have a number of other situations where people are been stopped from practising in Fiji,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.

Opposition member Semesa Karavaki said the A-G mentioned that some councils were not allowing foreigners to come into the country.

That was a clear indication that there were issues that needed to be discussed, issues that were widely kept before the decision was made.

The solution was not the introduction of a bill to override any quest for dialogue; that was not the solution.

“The basic solution to the problem is to talk to the council and if the council is abiding then there must be a problem, this is a way we approach things,” he said.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the Registration of Skilled Professional Workers Bill 2016 would directly come under the Prime Minister’s Office.

Outspoken Member of Parliament, Mosese Bulitavu objected to the motion and  said that it was important that the people should have their say on whether the committee should be under the Prime Minister’s Office. There was a need for further public consultation on the bill.

Edited by Nemani Delaibatiki

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