The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is trying its best to fill the vacant positions at various health centres and hospitals.

Minister for Health and Medical Services Rosy Akbar made this comment after some senior medical officers requested for more nurses and senior staff during her visit to Labasa Hospital and Seaqaqa Health Centre yesterday.

“We have advertised 243 vacant positions for nurses and we are processing it and hopefully that gets filled.

“We will be able to allocate nurses where there is a need.

“For doctors recruitment we started off with local arrangement and that went well, but this is a short term solution,” she said.

“In terms of recruiting doctors from overseas, that lies with the ministry of civil service and we are constantly talking about that.

“I do thank them (doctors and nurses) for stretching for whatever staff establishment they have to provide services to public.

“I do understand that it is not easy working for long hours.

“During my visit to Labasa Hospital and Nasea Health Centre, I have spoken to some of the patients and I have found out that the waiting time has been reduced and I thanked the heads of departments for their good work,” she said.

“For instance I spoke to a few patients at Nasea Health Centre and what I have learned that one hour has been reduced to 20 minutes.

“The Labasa Hospital medical superintendent doctor Jaoji Vulibeci, during his presentation informed me that for the past two months, there has been no waiting time complaint from patients which is a good sign.

“This is the reflection of the service delivery and good works the staff are doing.”

Shortage of medical supplies under review

Ms Akbar has assured that they are reviewing the system of restocking medical supplies in place.

Ms Akbar confirmed that she was aware that there is shortage of some medicines across Fiji and the ministry was looking into this.

“To the public, I want to say that be rest assured that we are looking into medical supplies,” Ms Akbar said.

“We are looking into all operations and we are hopeful to resolve this.

“I understand the equipment and supply shortage does affect the staff’s work.

“These are some priorities on my agenda, to see that staff are given what they need to provide the best service delivery.

“It is a two way process.

“I can’t expect you to deliver if we don’t provide you with what you need,” she told the medical staff at Labasa Hospital yesterday.

“We expect things to change in near future soon.

“One of the challenges that we are currently facing now is transportation.

“We are currently trying to review the fleets that we have.

“I am not expecting new vehicles.

“We have a fleet of transports that we need to maintain and see how best we can allocate to other centres.”

Viral video issue put to rest

Ms Rosy Akbar, has made it clear that she has put to rest the issue about the video showing nurses singing ‘Jingle bells, patients smell’ which went viral on social media.

Her comment follows after the Labasa Hospital medical superintendent Doctor Jaoji Vulibeci, while welcoming Ms Akbar in front of the heads of departments yesterday, apologised on behalf of his staff.

In response, Ms Akbar said: “I have put it to rest and I want my nurses back to normalcy.

“This will be the last time we will be talking about it.

“I am sure that it greatly tarnished the image and the good work that you have been doing so far.

“You have my word that we have put this to rest.

“Manager nursing, tell this to your staff that it’s time to move on.

“When I say move on we make sure that we don’t get into such kind of controversial activities. It sort of disturbs the whole fraternity,” Ms Akbar said.

This was the first time Ms Akbar, as Minister For Health and Medical Services, had meetings with the Labasa Hospital departments heads.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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