New $10.3M Rotuma Hospital Opens its Doors

A modernised, fully equipped new Rotuma Hospital opened its doors for enhanced health care services on Wednesday.

This is nine years after construction works started in 2015.

The new Rotuma Sub-divisional Hospital, which will serve the population of about 1899 people in the 22 villages on the island, was officially opened by Dr Atonio Lalabalavu.

The Minister for Health and Medical Services said there were many factors that contributed to the construction delay.

Not least among them was the distance from the mainland where the resources and technical expertise were sourced from, and the COVID- 19 outbreak in 2020 and 2021, and its enduring impact in Fiji to date.

As the only public health facility on the island, the hospital will now boast a range of services that will be of higher standard than what existed before.

"The new hospital, built at a cost of $10.3million has replaced the old Rotuma Rural Hospital at the same site, continuing on the proud tradition of hospitals and health services in Rotuma," Dr Atonio said.

Health care services started with the first hospital built more than 120 years ago in 1901.

The new cyclone-proof hospital is now bigger with 11 admission beds compared with only four beds in the old hospital.

The hospital has:

•  Designated wards for men, women, children, and isolation.
•  There is a new Emergency Department with two beds,
•  A dedicated Birthing Unit with a new delivery bed, an infant warmer and an infant incubator,
•  A new Operating Theatre,
•  There are also new rooms for physiotherapy services, laboratory services and radiology services.
•  In addition, a new oxygen manifold system has been installed, that will now provide continuous oxygen supplies for admitted patient.
•  New oxygen concentrators machines and new patient monitoring equipment will greatly facilitate the care of patients in the hospital.

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"The newly built kitchen and staff dining area, laundry facility, and mortuary facility all add to the wider scope of services that hospital will be able to deliver to the patients and staff of the hospital," Dr Atonio said.

"In addition, a new conference room for meetings and continuous professional development sessions, the newly installed Patient Information System (PATIS) for easier and more secure patient information access, switch board for ease of telecommunications, and VTSAT for internet access for better communications."

Government has also ensured that new biomedical equipment is purchased and installed at the hospital.

These includes:

•  Potable digital X-ray and a scan machine for radiological examinations;
•  Centrifuge machine, Haematology analyser machine and Biochemistry analyser machines for the medical laboratory; and the
•  New Dental chair and portable dental machine for the dental unit;

In addition, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has boosted the hospital's staff establishment from 37 to 50, with new positions such as medical laboratory scientist, ward assistant, dental therapist, health inspector, cleaner, cook, and handyman added to workforce for the new hospital.

"Some of these new positions are now in the hospital while others will be recruited in the weeks ahead," the minister said He also acknowledged the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), in particular, the Engineers (Mataisau) Regiment and their subcontractors for their perseverance in the construction of the hospital.

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