The Ministry of Employment, Productivity & Industrial Relations will hold Phase One of its Permanent Impairment Evaluation training for doctors in Nadi next week.
This training is part of the Ministry’s efforts to push forward the Workman’s Compensation Reform.
“The main purpose of the training is for doctors to assess injured workers fairly and competently using the international Guides and the local modifier with confidence. This training is also expected to lower the discrepancies in making assessments by at least below five per cent,” Minister for Employment, Productivity & Industrial Relations Hon. Jone Usamate said.
“The workshop is targeting Consultant and Senior Doctors to be competent in assessing permanent impairment using the internationally recognised American Medical Association Guides and the Fiji Workcare Guides as its modifier.”
“So far the Ministry has trained about 190 doctors and they expect to train about 50 per cent of practicing doctors so that they can assess permanent impairment after this training,” Minister Usamate said.
Minister Usamate also confirmed that at the completion of the training, candidates will be certified medical assessors in permanent impairment assessment and will be able to perform permanent impairment assessments for workman compensation cases under the new law.
Thirty doctors from around the country are expected to attend the training that will be conducted by a renowned Consultant Occupational Medicine Specialist from Sydney.
The training is sponsored by the National Occupational Health and Safety Board, a tripartite body that oversees national interests in OHS and Workman’s Compensation.
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