Government, through the Ministry of Health, is focused on modernising health facilities with top of the range technology as well as providing an improved level of health care to all Fijians.
The Minister for Health, Dr Neil Sharma said repair and refurbishment works are currently ongoing at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital to ensure that patients get maximum benefits from their visits to the hospital.
Dr Sharma said the hospital was in the midst of about $10million dollar upgrade works and they were also working to ensure that Fiji’s health facilities were adequately staffed.
“We have developed a new emergency department at the CWMH which provides a lot of immediate support to patients such as those who come in collapsed, traumatized patients from motor vehicle accidents or people suffering from acute medical conditions, acute asthma and internal bleeding,” Dr Sharma said.
The hospital had also commissioned an MRI machine and a CT scanner that had assisted in improved services by the staff.
“A new CT scanner was commissioned, which replaced the year old machine that we had and this is a modern and an up-to-date CT scanner. Last year saw the installation of Fiji’s first MRI at the CWM Hospital.
“Additional to the Cardiac Cat Lab, we have added a non-invasive cardiology in the form of echocardiography to see the status of the heart soon after heart attack or to detect valves and leaks within the heart,” Dr Sharma added.
The general lab facilities at the hospital have been changed to give it a totally modernised look and enhance time efficiency.
“The general lab facilities at CWM have been modernised and are now linked by an information system with all the labs throughout Fiji so that reports can be sent and transferred in the interest of patients’ safety and getting results to patients a lot more effectively,” Dr Sharma said.
The hospital would also undergo a major transition with the construction of new operating theatres and refurbishment of the old operating theatres and maternity units.
“We are going through a $9.5million dollar renovation which means new operating theatres in the east wing that will take our capability up to par with international level operating theatres. Two of these theatres will be earmarked for neuro-surgery and open heart surgery.
“We are renovating three operating theatres in the west wing as well and that will take us up to 11 operating theatres and there is already an operating theatre in the eye hospital,” the Health Minister said.
Dr Sharma stated that the maternity unit had undergone a major facelift through private partnerships with Digicel, Carpenters, Deluxe Paint and S E Holdings, who were making improvements to the toilet facilities.
The major renovation at CWMH, one of the oldest hospitals in Fiji, coincides with its 90th anniversary.
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