MP calls for 24/7 hospital pharmacies

Member of Parliament Rinesh Rajesh Sharma is calling on the Government to keep hospital pharmacies open 24/7, saying delays in accessing essential medication could put lives at risk.

In an interview yesterday, Mr Sharma highlighted the serious risks patients face when hospital pharmacies are closed at night.

“Sometimes people wait hours in emergency rooms, only to be told their medication isn’t available. They’re sent into town, but not all towns have late-night pharmacies. Patients have no choice but to wait until morning -sometimes at the cost of their lives,” he said.

He pointed to a tragic example: a young boxer who died after a match, with no ambulance on standby.

“If he was checked immediately, things might have been different. Time matters. When it comes to healthcare, delays can be deadly,” Mr Sharma stressed.

He believes government-run hospital pharmacies should operate round-the-clock, just like emergency services.

“If our ministries can look world-class, why can’t our hospitals?” he asked, emphasising that timely procurement and better planning were key to saving lives.

Meanwhile, Assistant Health Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa disagrees.

He said that opening hospital pharmacies 24/7 wasn’t practical.

“After-hours patients are very few - less than 10. We already give them enough medicine to last overnight. Full-time pharmacy hours just aren’t economical,” he explained.

The debate highlights a growing concern over healthcare accessibility in Fiji. As Mr Sharma puts it plainly: “Our healthcare system must be fixed.”

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