Raiwaqa Health Centre upgrade delayed

Renovation works at the Raiwaqa Health Centre are expected to take longer than initially planned as the Ministry of Health and Medical Services expands the project to address severe space constraints.

Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa said the ministry planned to acquire land in front of the health centre and extend the facility beyond its existing boundaries.

The initial plan was to extend the facility beyond the existing fence, with works expected to be completed within six months from February this year.

However, Mr Ravunawa said the project had since been expanded to address the severe shortage of space.

“There is some logistics work by the Ministry of Lands to do the pegging and the redefinition of land. It will take some time,” Mr Ravunawa said.

Healthcare services have been relocated to the Vodafone Arena in Laucala Bay, Suva.

Mr Ravunawa said Raiwaqa residents could also access services at nearby health centres in Samabula, Lami and Valelevu, as well as the Nuffield Clinic in Tamavua.

He said residents receiving social welfare assistance could also access services under the private-public partnership healthcare initiative.

“Social welfare recipients, there are registered general practitioners that can see them and through the private-public partnership, the private doctors will then bill the Government for the services they provided.

“They just need to come with their free medical card or their social welfare card. The initiative is to relieve the burden on our public health system.”

Mr Ravunawa urged members of the public to remain vigilant about their health as the ministry works towards providing improved healthcare services.