In its effort to streamline the health services in the country, the Minister for Health Dr Neil Sharma has revealed that hospitals and health centers around the country will be upgraded with $9.4 million dollars worth of equipment.
He said while the Ministry will be upgrading all the major hospitals in Fiji with million dollars worth of equipment it is also important to have the right expertise to manage and operate these equipment and facilities.
Dr Sharma said the Ministry is looking at capacity building in terms of getting medical expatriates from overseas and at the same time strengthening the medical labour force, locally.
“When $9.4 million worth of technology will arrive than we will need the expertise to run the machines and run the equipment and we are looking at capacity building.
“There are close to about 22 new graduates coming out with the Masters degrees at the end of this year and we are still negotiating with overseas sources for short-term contract and we also looking at the international agencies to provide support in the area which we will enhance gradually,” he said.
Dr Sharma said while getting expatriates may be one option, the better one which, the Ministry will greatly undertake, is to train our local doctors and nurses.
“We need also need to strengthen our local men power and that is where the solution will lie. It is not in just getting the expatriates for short term and we will need to be able to get to quality expatriates and we will need to be able to train our locals and we will need to be able to balance that whole exercise.
He said to enable the empowerment and strengthening of our local labour force, the Ministry from next year is going to provide opportunities to our doctors and nurses to get trainings in the foreign countries.
“We will from the beginning of next year hope to send more of our doctors and nurses overseas for short-term attachment for formal and informal trainings and in this regard we are currently negotiating with friendly countries to undertake this initiative.”
He said after receiving the training, once these doctors and nurses return to Fiji they will be able to provide an improved and enhanced medical service to the people of Fiji.
“Through this we hope to be able to provide a better health care to our people,” Dr Sharma reiterated.