No medical input in FCS job restructure, tribunal told

The committee tasked with implementing the restructuring of positions within the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) had no medical representatives to assess the creation of the nurse practitioner role.

This was revealed during the tribunal hearing into the inquiry of suspended Commissioner Jalesi Nakarawa yesterday evening.

FCS senior operations officer Jone Biu was intensely cross-examined in his capacity as a member of the committee that implemented the Job Evaluation Exercise (JEE), which was approved by Cabinet.

The tribunal heard that some of the 81 new positions, approved and funded by the Ministry of Finance in the first phase last year, were traded off with other new positions created according to the committee’s standards.

One of those changes included trading one of the two existing senior medical officer positions for the nurse practitioner role.

Judge Justice Dane Tuiqereqere questioned Mr Biu on whether there was any medical representative in the committee to guide them when assessing the nurse practitioner role.

Mr Biu said there were no medical representatives; however, any queries regarding the medical unit were referred to the medical officer.

He recalled a few members of the committee, including Assistant Commissioner Administration Rusiate Batiratu and former administration officer Nai Finau Naqaravatu.

Justice Tuiqereqere noted that several medical officers who testified earlier had stated they did not support the reforms conducted under Nakarawa’s leadership.

He said this suggested it was probably more “financially expedient” to have nurse practitioners rather than doctors as heads.

Mr Biu agreed that the committee was not qualified to make such changes; however, they were only trying to raise the standards of the institution and award positions to those with proper qualifications.

Since rejoining FCS last year, Mr Biu has been appointed to six different positions with an increased salary.

The court labeled this as unusual, questioning instability and inefficiency in his work performance.

“How can you know what you're doing from day to day if you're changing your position that often in six months?” Mr Tuiqereqere said. 

Mr Biu agreed that these constant changes were not conducive to a disciplined institution but said they followed instructions, and the changes in his appointments were all endorsed by the Commissioner himself.