Don't expect pay rise amid global pressures, FMA to doctors

Fiji Medical Association acting president Ronal Kumar has called on doctors to be mindful of the pressures facing the global economy.

Opening a mini-conference for doctors in the Northern Division at the Ramada Hotel in Labasa last Saturday, Mr Kumar reminded attendees that they were not the only professionals facing challenges.

“Expecting us, as doctors, to get a pay rise is unfortunately not going to be palatable to anyone,” Mr Kumar said.

“As leaders within the profession, we must continue advocating not only for better healthcare systems, but also for the wellbeing, protection, training and professional development of our healthcare workforce — not just the current workforce, but the next generation as well.

“They will come with a different mindset because, ultimately, the strength of Fiji's healthcare system depends not only on buildings or equipment, but on the people who continue to serve every single day.”

The theme of the one-day conference was Make It Happen: Results Over Rhetoric.

Mr Kumar, a medical practitioner, said healthcare rhetoric could shape policies, influence public perception, guide funding priorities and affect the morale of healthcare workers.

“What matters are the outcomes, the actions taken and the realities experienced by both healthcare workers and the communities we serve,” he said.

“As medical professionals, we understand that behind every public statement, policy discussion or healthcare promise are real patients, real families and real frontline workers navigating increasingly complex healthcare challenges every day.”

He said the realities of healthcare delivery often extended beyond policy debates.

“Behind the politics of healthcare delivery is the doctor or nurse on Rabi Island making do with the resources available, the vascular surgeon at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital using an expired graft to give a critically ill patient a chance to survive, or the doctor at Nabouwalu Sub-divisional Hospital deciding which of two sick patients should be transported first in the only ambulance available.

“What is remarkable is that many people from developed healthcare systems abroad would struggle to believe the level of service development and patient care achieved here in Fiji despite our limitations in manpower, infrastructure, funding and resources.

“Yet our doctors, nurses, allied health staff, administrators and support teams continue to innovate, adapt and persevere to serve our patients.”