A clinical team from the Fiji Emergency Medical Assistance Team (FEMAT) will be deployed to Kadavu today to respond to the expected wave of severe disease and deaths on the island.

Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services, Dr James Fong said the situation in Kadavu remained a major concern.

“The clinical scoping team have put together a clinical response plan that will help to efficiently escalate our response to the expected wave of severe disease and deaths in Kadavu however we do anticipate this to be a challenging exercise,” Dr Fong said.

“FEMAT response to Kadavu will involve both public health and clinical teams. The clinical team will include doctors and nurses from the clinical specialised fields of medicine.”

Upon arrival, the clinical team will boost the public health response through rapid diagnostic tests, risk assessment and stratification, COVID awareness, vaccination and clinical case management.

Dr Fong said their main aim is to identify the extent of transmission, to institute containment strategies, early detection, retrieve sick cases and minimise the number of deaths on the island.

“They will also work very closely with the teams from other ministries under Provincial Administrator Kadavu on community engagement,” he said.

“The main goal is to minimise severe and critical cases given the expected challenges in medical evacuation.

“While they commit towards community response and engagement the logistic teams will be setting up the COVID wards and the intermediate care facilities in readiness for patients with severe COVID-19 disease.”

Dr Fong also stressed the need for maritime islanders to refrain from engaging in unauthorised travel to and from Viti Levu.

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