[Photo: FILE]

A group of Fiji National University Bachelor of Dental Surgery graduates are calling for urgent action over delays in their internship placements, saying they have been waiting more than six months to begin work with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

In a letter to the media, the graduates, who requested anonymity, say they have received no clear communication despite applying for Dental Intern positions in December last year and attending interviews in March.

They questioned why nurse, medical and pharmacy interns have already been deployed while dental interns are still waiting.

The graduates also claim the delay has caused financial hardship, with many carrying large student loans and unable to seek work overseas because of government scholarship bonds.

They are calling on the Ministry of Health to clarify when they will be posted or consider releasing them from their scholarship bonds if employment cannot be provided.

Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu has told FBC news that long-awaited posting of dental interns is expected to take place by next month.

Dr. Lalabalavu says the recruitment process is now underway.

He says the delay was largely due to the freeze on recruitment across the civil service, which has since been eased by the Prime Minister to allow critical positions, including those within the Ministry of Health, to be filled.

“So the PM has made some exceptions to post-freezing, including Ministry of Health, especially the internship and again it has to follow the normal timeline before they are posted. So, we’ve talked, I mean, the relevant supervisors or heads of those cadres have been informed, so right now it’s about the, just following the process of OMRS, and by August we should have them posted.”

The Minister says the recruitment is now progressing through the normal Ministry of Civil Service recruitment process and the relevant supervisors have already been informed.

Dr. Lalabalavu says the Ministry expects the dental interns to be posted by August.