The Minister for Health and Medical Services, Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete, says as civil servants we cannot be part of spreading fake news.

This was after a report from the Lautoka Hospital that was sent to various people through Facebook Messenger of the alleged abduction of a 13-year-old in Saweni, Lau­toka was proven to be false.

Dr Waqainabete said he had made that clear with all medical professionals.

He said it was equally important that all medical professionals maintain confiden­tiality with patients’ personal information at all times.

“I have advised all medical professionals, they understand that we need to maintain confidentiality at all times,” he said.

“Fiji is not a very big country so we are re­lated to everybody and we are friends with a lot of people but that doesn’t give us the right to be able to talk about anybody.

“At the same time I have also made it very clear that as civil servants we cannot be part of spreading fake news that is impor­tant and they understand.”

He said keeping confidential information of patients was part of the ethics of work­ers while being employed in the health sys­tem.

“Obviously we do not condone releasing confidential information that is part of the ethics of working within the health system but also working within the civil service,” he said.

“There has been a breach of that and it has been followed in investigating the cir­cumstances for those who may be involved but I do not want to talk a lot about it as Police investigate into this.”

Edited by Susana Tuilau

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