Fijians living in the maritime zone will now have access to better medi­cal services following the commis­sioning of the $8 million, “Veivueti” multi­purpose vessel by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama

The vessel, Veivueti, apart from providing medical services to patients in the mari­time islands, will support people during disaster relief and humanitarian opera­tions.

While delivering his speech, Prime Min­ister Voreqe Bainimarama said the vessel would serve about 10,000 patients in the ru­ral and maritime islands.

The vessel is now berthed at Government Shipping Services jetty at Walu Bay in Suva.

Mr Bainimarama said the new vessel was designed to provide both primary and sec­ondary medical services.

“The Veivueti will be unlike any resource we have had at our disposal here in Fiji. It will house separate rooms for operations, minor procedures, consultations and recov­ery,” he said.

“It is specially equipped and designed to accommodate 18 crew members including a full medical team that can carry out emer­gency surgeries, take X-rays, screen pulmo­nary tuberculosis and perform urgent den­tal procedures.”

The vessel was designed by United Ship Design of Malaysia.

At the same event, Mr Bainimarama also commissioned the new Government Ship­ping Services complex.

The $3million facility will improve work­ing conditions for the staff of Government Shipping Services.

Minister for Transport Parveen Bala said the vessel would be looked after by his min­istry and the Ministry of Health and Medi­cal Services.

“The vessel contains a fully operating room and recovery room and can carry up to 40 passengers,” he said.

“The new vessel will provide hospital op­eration services to support people during disaster relief and humanitarian opera­tions.

“The multipurpose vessel will provide quick relief response and basic medical services during and aftermath of natural disasters, facilitate medical outreach pro­grammes and or disease outbreaks.

“Lessons learned from the events of natu­ral disasters in the past years have provid­ed an incentive to modernise Fiji’s disaster response capabilities and make disaster re­sponse more proactive rather than reactive.

“Now doctors will be able to conduct medi­cal check-up in maritime islands.”

The 41-metre long vessel has the capac­ity of transporting 316 tonnes of water to drought stricken islands and cart a maxi­mum of 250 tonnes of general cargo.

Edited by Percy Kean

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