Our Health System Deteriorating, Opposition MP Warns Parliament

The health system in Fiji is facing severe deterioration, despite an increased budget allocation, according to Opposition Member of Parliament Premila Kumar.

Speaking during the debate on the Consolidated Review Report of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services 2016-2021 Annual Reports in Parliament, Ms Kumar highlighted a range of issues affecting the healthcare sector, from staffing shortages to underutilised funds, and criticising government’s handling of healthcare priorities.

“Despite a bigger health budget, the system is collapsing,” Ms Kumar said.

She cited several alarming examples, including the recently graduating nurses having to wait for up to six months for employment, and existing staff overworked.

“Where is the strategy, Mr Speaker, Sir? Nurses and midwives are in short supply, and women’s health is suffering,” she said.

Ms Kumar pointed out the critical shortage of midwives, revealing that there are only 200 midwives available for 300,000 childbearing women.

Last year, 500 midwives migrated, and while 50 new midwives are trained annually with Australian Government sponsorship, they are not bonded to stay in Fiji, exacerbating the problem, she said.

“This is poor planning that has huge impact on women’s health,” Ms Kumar stressed.

In addition to staffing issues, Ms Kumar criticised the underutilisation of the 2023-2024 health budget.

She noted that $800,000 of the $1 million allocated for staff quarters went unspent, while less than $1 million of the $5 million earmarked for upgrades to Labasa Hospital was used.

Furthermore, she highlighted that $5 million allocated for special maintenance went unused, likewise a significant portion of the funds for biomedical supplies and dental equipment.

“This government claims to prioritise healthcare, but these figures show otherwise,” she said.

Ms Kumar also raised concerns about the mental health sector, pointing out that the budget for St Giles Psychiatric Hospital had been slashed despite growing mental health challenges.

“When questioned during the Budget Committee of Supplies discussion, the Minister for Health claimed funds were sufficient, but health care workers tell a different story,” she said.

“Mental health is in crisis, yet the budget for its care is being cut.”

Government response

Minister for Finance Biman Prasad responded to the criticisms from Ms Kumar, accusing her and other members of forgetting the challenges faced during their time in government and failing to acknowledge the shortcomings of their administration.

Mr Prasad took aim at Mr Kumar’s remarks on the deteriorating health system, questioning the Opposition’s approach.

“For Honourable Kumar and Honourable Maharaj to come here and pontificate, and completely forget what they had left, that’s not being honest,” Mr Prasad said.

“I know it will take time for you to get used to being in Opposition. You probably need two terms to understand the frustration one faces in both positions,” he added.

He further argued that both Opposition and Government members face similar complaints from the public, and emphasised the importance of admitting mistakes made while in power.

“When you are in Government, you should admit what went wrong. That would be more honest, more helpful, and appreciated by the people,” Mr Prasad said.

Turning to the issue of the health budget, Mr Prasad acknowledged the concerns raised about underutilisation of funds but defended the current budget allocation, which he described as a significant improvement.

“Our budget is now about 4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is just 0.5 per cent short of the World Health Organisation’s standard of 4.5 per cent,” Mr Prasad explained.

“This amounts to approximately $580 million, including payments to public-private partnerships.”

Mr Prasad also highlighted government’s commitment to addressing the challenges within the health sector, noting that the current administration had been transparent about the issues and had called for a comprehensive review of the sector.

“This Government has been very honest. We have not denied that there are problems,” he said.

“That’s why we called for a review of the entire health sector.”

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