Sixty-two-year-old Arieta Naulu was among many villagers in the province of Navosa who witnessed the opening of the $30 million new Navosa Hospital yesterday.

It was a day to remember after Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama officially opened the multi-million dollar health facility at the Vatumali Government Station.

Ms Naulu who hails from Keiyasi, Namataku wished time would reverse decades back so villagers like her could enjoy decent health services like today.

She said expectant mothers would be glad to have a facility closer to home for birthing purposes.

“As a mother, I would understand what it involves to give birth to children as in the past decades we had to go down the rough terrain,” she said.

“I gave birth to two children at the Sigatoka Hospital and one at the Lautoka Hospital. I am indeed thankful to the Government to bring these health services right to our doorstep. We could not ask for more.”

Keiyasi villager Arieta Naulu. Photo: Waisea Nasokia

Tui Magodro Ratu Simione Vutevute, 62, applauded Government’s efforts to provide the best health care possible for people in the province.

Ratu Simione said: “This is fabulous as we have a hospital with a state of the art facilities. In the past the people in the village of Bukuya had no choice but to travel to Lautoka Hospital to receive treatment. Now it is only a short distance away.”

In his address, Mr Bainimarama said that the Government had worked hard to create greater opportunities for rural residents to have access to the best medical care possible.

This hospital will make a huge difference for the people in this area,” he said.

“And it will surely save lives as it will serve 26 villages, 58 settlements, 11 kindergartens, and 13 primary and two secondary schools. And the people from Bukuya Medical Area and the upper Naqalimare Nursing District can also choose to come here for care,” Mr Bainimarama said.

“That day has passed. We are here today to take one more important step in one of the most important things a government can do for its people—provide the best health care possible. Timing is critical in medicine, and if we can treat people early, then we have gone a long way to providing the best health care we can. The new hospital was once a primary care facility, its medical services were good but quite limited.

“By expanding this hospital into a Sub-Divisional Hospital, we can perform surgery in a modern operating theatre, with proper post-operative care and inpatient services. That means that patients who need constant medical attention will have a bed in a sanitary and well-staffed hospital, with doctors and nurses on site,” the PM said.

The hospital includes:

• Guesthouse for families, so they can stay with their loved ones instead of having to bear the expense of a hotel or travel back and forth to their villages.
• It also includes housing for staff, so that a sufficient number of doctors and nurses can be here on site, 24 hours a day.
• A medevac heliport for those who need to be treated quickly at a larger hospital, they can be transported by helicopter from the medevac heliport that was built into the design.

He added while the hospitals and health centres are impressive building complexes, he encouraged all to look at all of our hospitals as an integrated network that works together for every patient.

Edited by Caroline Ratucadra

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