The Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Fiji’s largest maternity facility handling over 20 percent of national births, recorded sharp swings in data completeness.

This, according to the Fiji Bureau of Statistics exposed uneven reporting across the country’s key health institutions.

The Fiji National Vital Statistics Report 2020–2022 shows completeness at CWM Hospital ranged from 0 percent to 99 percent in 2020.

It fell to 72 percent in 2021, before rising again to 97 percent in 2022.

In comparison, Lautoka Divisional Hospital, the second largest facility with just over 40 percent of Fiji’s births, maintained an estimated completeness of 90 percent or more throughout the period.

The report notes that while most major facilities improved over time, gaps remained in consistency across the health system. Smaller facilities showed even greater variation, particularly where birth volumes were low.

It also highlights broader challenges during the COVID-19 period. Limited access to resources, including computers and printing materials, affected reporting in some locations. In some cases, handwritten notifications were still used where electronic entry was expected.

Despite these issues, national birth reporting systems showed overall improvement by 2022. The report attributes this to better coordination between health facilities and central data management units.

However, it warns that variations in completeness still affect the reliability of facility-level comparisons. This limits how precisely trends can be tracked across regions and hospitals.

The report stresses the need for stronger standardisation of reporting practices. It says consistent data capture across all facilities is essential for accurate national statistics and effective health planning.