Unpaid overtime sparks imaging service shutdown at CWM

Critical imaging services, including X-ray, computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), were unavailable over the weekend at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital in Suva.

The disruption followed reports that radiology technicians stopped overtime work amid unpaid or suspended overtime arrangements with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

The shutdown has sparked controversy, with doctors warning that patients requiring urgent scans faced potentially life-threatening delays, even as Government funding continued for private-sector imaging services.

Reliable sources said that from Friday evening until this morning, key imaging services — including X-ray, CT, MRI and other scans — were effectively unavailable.

Frontline clinicians criticised the situation as poor management and misplaced priorities, particularly as emergency cases continued to arrive at the hospital.

Doctors said without access to imaging, life-saving decisions — such as confirming strokes, ruptured appendixes or internal bleeding — became significantly more difficult.

A senior medical registrar said patients needing imaging over the weekend had little choice but to “pray hard”, noting that certain surgeries could not proceed safely without confirmed scan results.

Adding to the controversy are claims that while overtime for hospital imaging staff had been curtailed, emergency patients were still being referred to private facilities for scans, with Government funds covering the costs.

Medical staff questioned why payments could be directed externally while overtime arrangements for critical in-house personnel remained unresolved.

Doctors said they continued to treat patients using clinical judgement, but warned that practising medicine without imaging increased both medical and legal risks.

“We can diagnose many conditions clinically,” a source said. “But there are cases where imaging is absolutely necessary before treatment or surgery.”

The dispute has also exposed broader frustrations within the health system, with registrars and other frontline staff reporting extended working hours without proportional compensation, contributing to burnout and staffing shortages.

Health workers urged the public to continue seeking medical care, warning that avoiding hospitals due to fears of reduced services could lead to higher mortality.

However, they said pressure must now shift to management to urgently resolve staffing payments and restore full services.

Questions sent to Acting Permanent Secretary for Health Dr Luisa Cikamatana were unanswered before this edition went to print.

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