Health

Damaged Health facilities bill pegged at around $2.5m

December 29, 2020 6:42 am

The damage bill from Tropical Cyclone Yasa that razed the Health Ministry facilities in the Northern Division stands at around $2.5 million.

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete says this is an estimated amount based on initial damage assessments.

He also confirmed that the Nursing station on Kia Island suffered the most severe damage limiting health services for a few days after the passing of TC Yasa.

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“As we know with Kia Island the whole Nursing station has been destroyed. So our rough assessment to rebuild that is about $1.5 million. And we’ve had other damages in other places all throughout Vanua Levu including the Labasa hospital.”

Dr Waqainabete says few other health centers particularly the one in Lekutu and the Labasa Hospital sustained severe damage costing the Ministry about half a million dollars in repairs.

“Our main concern now is the aircon. As you know the aircon is right on the roof of the hospital and that actually blows through with the wind and the rain and also the fan turbine of the aircon was also damaged, that’s quite a significant damage.”

The Ministry believes the estimated bill might increase with assessments still underway in other health facilities in Vanua Levu.

“But those are the initial assessments that we have done. Again in the in-depth assessment that will be done in terms of scoping that could be the same or lesser or even more so at the moment it’s about $2.5 million.”

Meanwhile, no reports of communicable diseases have been received from the North and 40 health officials were deployed last week to provide the much-needed health services in TC Yasa ravaged communities.