Govt uses private hospital theatres to cut surgery delays

The Government’s plan to outsource operating theatre space to private hospitals aims to reduce surgical waiting lists while keeping public doctors in charge of procedures, says Minister for Health Atonio Lalabalavu.

Dr Lalabalavu clarified that the Ministry was not outsourcing doctors but only the use of private‑sector facilities when public hospital theatres are fully booked, allowing surgeries to proceed without delays.

He said the arrangement had been budgeted for and formed part of ongoing collaboration between the public and private health sectors to improve service delivery.

The Minister also addressed recent disruptions at the radiology department of the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, attributing the temporary closure to a miscommunication over overtime payments.

He confirmed that overtime remains a priority, particularly for critical cadres such as medical emergency technologists, whose numbers remain limited.

On public health concerns, Dr Lalabalavu said the Ministry continues to monitor suspected meningococcal disease cases, noting that confirmatory laboratory tests have so far not returned positive results.

While the disease is rare in Fiji, he said strict precautionary protocols remain in place due to its highly infectious nature.

He added that the Ministry would also take guidance from the recent address by President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, particularly the call to strengthen primary healthcare and preventative medicine, as it shapes its health priorities for the year.