More Pay to Keep Nurses: Wilson

As the departure of public health nurses for opportu­nities overseas continue to pose challenges, a Health Ministry official says, injecting more funding into their salaries should remain a priority.

Since assuming her role as chief nursing and midwifery officer in 2022, Colleen Wilson has seen Fiji's nursing workforce shrink over the last few years.

Despite the government's efforts to increase nurses' pay, Ms Wilson said more funding was needed to retain nurses locally.

"I understand the salary increas­es, supported by nursing stakehold­ers, were made in accordance with the nurses' experience and qualifi­cations. I hope in the years to come, nurses will receive more," she said.

That it is a tool that should be used more to support nurses, especially new graduates.

"We've used remote, night, meal, consolidated and subsistence al­lowances before for public health nurses who worked in the islands, in the country's interior and hard-­to-reach areas," Ms Wilson said.

"These are some strategies the Government can use to keep our nurses. We even have nurses who are returning home."

The Fiji Government allocated just over $900 million to the Minis­try of Health and Medical Services in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Budg­et cycles.

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