$840,700 donation delivers new operating theatre at CWM Hospital

Patients at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital are expected to receive faster surgical treatment following the opening of a new minor operating theatre funded by an $840,700 donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa said the new facility would help ease the hospital's surgical backlog and significantly improve care for diabetic foot patients, who account for about 70 per cent of the hospital's surgical workload.

"During our post-COVID recovery period, the hospital's operating theatre capacity was significantly reduced. We were operating at only 50 per cent capacity, while four of our eight main operating theatres underwent essential refurbishment and repairs. This created enormous operational challenges," he said.

Built within the new surgical ward, the theatre enables procedures to be carried out on-site, eliminating the need to transport vulnerable patients to the hospital's main operating theatres.

The new surgical ward includes four wards with a total capacity of 49 beds, providing specialised care for patients with severe diabetic foot sepsis.

Mr Ravunawa said the facility would reduce treatment delays, improve operating theatre efficiency, ease surgical backlogs and deliver better patient outcomes.

The project also included major upgrades to the Children's Hospital, including repairs to its deteriorating roof and the establishment of Fiji's first dedicated adolescent ward with capacity for 20 to 24 patients.

The ward will provide specialised care for patients aged 16 to 19 with non-communicable diseases, burns, traumatic injuries and survivors of gender-based violence. It also includes a Child Protection Room, an infection prevention and control room, a burns unit and improved accommodation for caregivers.

Fiji Stake President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Panapasa Ratuvukivuki, said the church would continue supporting healthcare projects in Fiji.

"This is not the first project, and it won't be the last. There are quite a few projects that have been completed and others that are in the pipeline."

Mr Ratuvukivuki said the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a humanitarian arm that provided humanitarian assistance globally as it sought to live by God's message to love God and love one's neighbour.