Vatulele calls for dedicated medical boat amid emergency transport concerns

People of Vatulele Island are pleading for a dedicated medical boat, saying the lack of emergency transport continues to put lives at risk as patients requiring urgent treatment must rely on costly private vessels or wait for helicopters to Viti Levu.

The headman of Ekubu Village, Ratu Kini Muainanovo, said while the island's health centre provided basic healthcare services, it did not own a boat to transport patients needing urgent medical treatment to Viti Levu.

He said the health centre often relied on private boat owners, who charged high fees for emergency transport.

"A major challenge for the people of Ekubu is transporting sick patients from the island to Viti Levu because the health centre does not have a designated boat," Ratu Kini said.

He said patients with serious medical conditions sometimes had to wait for a helicopter from Viti Levu to be arranged.

"This has been an issue for many years."

Ratu Kini said he was unaware of any plans by the health centre or relevant authorities to address the longstanding need for a dedicated emergency transport vessel.

He said having a medical boat stationed on the island would improve emergency response times and provide reassurance to villagers who depended on the health centre for essential services.