Kelera Ditaiki 
[Photo: FILE]
Fiji’s ambulance services are primarily used for transporting patients between hospitals, rather than responding to emergencies outside health facilities.
Minister for Health Dr Atonio Lalabalavu say emergency response services are handled through external providers such as St John Ambulance Fiji and the National Fire Authority, which are contacted when assistance is needed.
“It’s not staying idle; it’s for referral. From hospital to hospital, yes. That’s why it’s the ambulance service within the hospital. Now, outside of the hospital, we have the St. John Ambulance. They have a kind of paramedic sort of training that’s available to them. So we outsource these kinds of services to them.”
Dr Lalabalavu add that hospital-based teams may respond in some situations, but only when they are available, as they are often attending to patients within health facilities.
He also clarified that ambulances within the health system are mainly used for referrals, including those recently added to the fleet.
The public is being urged to better understand how the system operates and to seek help quickly during emergencies, including providing basic first aid while waiting for assistance.
