Ministry, Medics, Stakeholders Discuss Way Forward for Fiji’s Medical Services
Do not forget about other diseases as the nation’s resources were leveraged against fighting COVID-19.
This is what Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Iferiemi Waqainabete said at the Holiday Inn, Suva as medical personnel and key stakeholders met yesterday at the COVID-SWOT Analysis Workshop to assess the Ministry of Health and Medical Services’ (MHMS) strengths and weaknesses, possible opportunities and potential threats during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 19 months.
“As of Sunday 19th December, 2021 we have had a total of 52,576 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 130 active cases with 71 per cent of the cumulative cases deaths from the Central Division,” he said.
“In the acute and the containment phase of the response, the Division implemented strategies that were appropriate to the situation and involved hundreds of frontliners who executed these decisions.
“These frontliners consist of MHMS officials, RFMF, Fiji Police Force, our fellow civil servants and volunteers from Red Cross, MSP, FRIENDS, Live and Learn and RHAF etc.”
Dr Waqainabete said the decision to move to the mitigation phase was crucial because indicators showed they had the capacity to respond and the capacity to test as per protocol, severe disease, hospitalisation and deaths.
He also said there was frontline fatigue as well.
“The results of our decisions have been come to fruition with our current low numbers, relaxation of stringent COVID-19 measures that were being implemented, allowance on movements, which will allow Fijians their Christmas and New Year with their family and friends,” he said.
“We are fully aware of the threats outside our border with the Omicron variant moving with haste throughout the globe.”
“What we know now is that it is more transmissible and it can escape our immunity. But there is more to learn about it.”
“With the declining numbers, the imminent threat of Omicron and a probability of a Natural Disaster, we cannot and we must not let our guards down therefore we must push on for the prosperity of our people.”
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