$14m boost for hospital | McDonald reaffirms Australia's support for Fiji

Source: The Fiji Times
Author: Shayal Devi

Fiji has received $A10million ($F14.7m) as part of the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital redevelopment master plan.

The much-needed assistance comes at a time when the facility has come under heavy scrutiny for its dilapidated state.

During a signing for direct funding arrangement at CWM Hospital yesterday, Minister of Finance Professor Biman Prasad said the support will bolster Fiji's efforts to deliver a comprehensive infrastructure master plan for the hospital.

"The monumental task of replacing CWM Hospital is not ours alone," he said.

"It will take time but today is the first step in this important process. All stakeholders will need to work together, we need to plan properly and set Fiji up well for decades into the future."

According to Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu, CWM Hospital is grappled with significant and complex challenges. These, he said, included workforce shortages, ageing infrastructure, and the rise of multi-drug resistant organisms.

"For infrastructure, we have initiated a structural assessment of CWM Hospital's existing infrastructure, and the emergency needs of its operating theatres," he said.

"While we work to plan for the long-term future, we will ensure that our current hospital continues to meet the needs of our population today and for the next 10 years."

Similar sentiments were echoed by Australian High Commissioner to Fiji Ewen McDonald, who reaffirmed Australia's support for Fiji.

He also said a detailed engineering assessment was being conducted to determine the issues being faced in the operating theatres and surrounding wards.

"We recognise the importance of bringing these operating theatres back online as quickly as possible," he said.

"We are also supporting other work across CWM (Hospital) to ease patient flows and support the delivery of health services.

"Improving clinical governance and infection prevention and control, so that patients are protected from further infections, is a key focus of our partnership."