Health puts plan into action

11/08/2009

The Ministry of Health will continue to work on ways staffing numbers and issues can be improved as part of its Health Reform programme currently being undertaken.

Media Liaison Officer Iliesa Tora said the aim was the improve all sectors of healthcare service so that members of the public get quality health service efficiently.

The plans include strengthening the Nursing Workforce, improving and strengthening doctor numbers and workforce plus the introduction of new short term courses that would help upskill staff.

Mr Tora said Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma and Permanent Secretary, Dr Sala Saketa have worked tirelessly over the past five months to find solutions to problems that have been long standing.

He said the Ministry is dealing with issues as per following:


1. Nursing Workforce

(i) Basic training- review of current diploma program in preparation for a bachelor in nursing degree that will be conferred locally. James Cook University is currently conferring the degree in nursing.

(ii) Review of post-basic certificate in midwifery to diploma level is now completed and ready to be implemented in October 2009 as a one-year program.

(iii) Review of post-basic certificate in mental health nursing and intensive care nursing for upgrade to diploma level has now been commissioned through the support of the AusAID funded Fiji Health Sector Improvement Program (FHSIP).

(iv) Fiji School of Medicine has launched its Bachelor in Public Health Nursing degree this year

(v) Review of nursing establishment with emphasis on succession planning, retention strategies and award of appropriate incentives is underway which is expected to be presented to the Public Service Commission and cabinet for their endorsement very shortly.

(vi) Preparation underway for the Fiji School of Nursing incorporation into the Fiji National University by January 2010.

(vii) Drafting of a new Nurses’ Bill currently being undertaken to align the nursing profession to modern professional standards and also for annual licensing and continuing nursing education.

(viii) Franchising of the post-graduate training in midwifery is being explored with the private TISI Sangam School of Nursing to enable more midwives to be trained particularly for the Northern Division.

2. Doctors

(i) Recruitment of specialists from India and possibly from the Philippines to fill the current 14 vacant positions.

(ii) Post-graduate training in pathology and radiology currently explored with the government of India, as these cannot be offered through the Fiji School of Medicine.

(iii) Review of Medical & Dental Practitioners Act to enable annual licensing and strengthening of continuing medical education.

(iv) Numbers of medical officers will be boosted when the new Umanand Medical School of the University of Fiji graduates its first batch by 2013.

(v) Masters and diploma training in ophthalmology is now being offered through the Pacific Eye Institute based in Suva.

(vi) Shortage of anesthetists is a recurring problem and arrangements have been made for AusAID assistance and also through the Pacific Association of Surgeons network.

(vii) Review of doctor establishments together with succession planning, retention strategies and incentive policies currently underway.

3. Oral Health Staff

(i) Review of oral health staff establishment underway to allow absorption of what seem like an over-supply of BDS graduates at the moment.

(ii) Critical shortage in the dental therapist and dental technician cadre is experienced and working on increasing training in these two areas- many of them were absorbed through the bridging program to BDS.

(iii) First time that we are engaging a new cadre called community chair side assistants that have been recommended to fill in the shortages in dental assistant positions. These are people picked from the local community who have reached Form 6 or Form 7 education and can undergo on- the job training. They also assist in addressing the
accommodation problem that staffs that may be posted into these areas encounter.

4. Other Allied Health Workers

(i) FSM has now developed the new degree in dietetics degree that will commence in 2010. Those eligible can be able to join in a bridging program through in-service training mode.

(ii) Bachelor in laboratory technology has now commenced with the FSM.

(iii) Upgrade of Physiotherapy program to a degree program with FSM.

(iv) Community Rehabilitation Assistants training program to be offered by FSM in 2010.

5. Future directions

(i) Arranging with FSM for the recommencement of x-ray/lab assistants program to meet needs in the rural areas.

(ii) Exploring the training on anesthetic technician program through FHSIP support.

Mr Tora said the Ministry of Health is confident that if these plans were all actioned problematic issues would be solved.