A significant boost in the 2025-2026 National Budget empowers Fiji’s health ministry to drastically enhance public health infrastructure and medical services.

The Ministry has been allocated over $600 million in the new financial year, up from $540 million allocated in the current budget.

In addition, nearly $1 billion in further investments is being mobilized to build a new national hospital and upgrade other priority health facilities.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad, states that the Health Ministry’s operational budget has increased to $466 million, which will cover staff salaries, procurement of medicines, and maintenance of health facilities.

He adds that over the past two years, more than 200 maintenance and upgrade projects have been completed across health centres, nursing stations, and hospitals nationwide.

Professor Prasad says the Clinical Services Plan calls for an increase in bed capacity at the CWM Hospital from 453 to 703 beds to meet growing demand.

He adds upgrades to the existing CWM Hospital are already underway, with $63 million earmarked for priority repairs, partly supported by the Australian Government.

The DPM adds that subsidies for kidney dialysis services have also been raised to $4.7 million, alongside a $1.2 million allocation for new mortuary units at rural and maritime health facilities.

“In the last two budgets, we made accessibility more targeted to those earning less than $30,000 per year and further extended this to all social welfare pensioners and kidney dialysis patients. So far, we have paid $26 million. However, this will be further reviewed in the financial year to reduce abuse in the system.”

Professor Prasad states that the new national hospital project is estimated to cost nearly $2 billion, with site selection and financing arrangements currently in progress.

A total of $117 million has been allocated in this budget for the ongoing operations and maintenance of Health Care Fiji’s Lautoka and Ba hospitals under the Public-Private Partnership arrangement.

He says the government continues to focus on expanding tertiary healthcare services through partnerships with the private sector.

Professor Prasad adds that an agreement is currently under review with support from the International Finance Corporation to ensure cost-effectiveness and quality service delivery.

He says that under the free medical scheme, public-private partnerships continue with over 64 general and dental practitioners and medical lab providers offering free medical services to the public.

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