[File Photo]

The Fiji National Provident Fund says full due diligence was conducted before entering its public-private partnership with Aspen Medical, amid concerns about gaps in service delivery.

FNPF Investment Officer Waisea Kamikamica says they engaged consultants specialising in PPP arrangements to advise on the structure of the deal.

Standing Committee on Social Affairs members Viam Pillay and Parveen Bala raised concerns about the availability of medicines from the two Aspen-managed hospitals.

Pillay raised concerns that patients are being forced to purchase medicines from private pharmacies, rather than receiving them directly from hospitals.

He says this, however, is not happening now as people go to the hospital, get a prescription, and then have to go out and buy the medicine.

FNPF Investment Officer Waisea Kamikamica clarified that pharmaceutical services were not included in the original agreement.

“Based on the agreement that HCF signed with the government, medicine is not part of it, or pharmaceutical services. But at the moment, like I said, the discussion is still ongoing with the government in terms of the review of the concession agreement, mainly to benefit the government and also to benefit HCF, which is the primary operator of the two hospitals.”

He also confirms that the PPP covers the construction of a new 305-bed hospital in Lautoka, along with major upgrades to the existing facilities.

“The initial stage that we want to do now is to review the concession agreement, because that will drive the kind of services that we will offer to the hospital, the kind of standard that we need to meet, because that will facilitate the construction of the new hospital.”

The FNPF–Aspen partnership was launched to manage and upgrade the Lautoka and Ba hospitals, aiming to enhance healthcare infrastructure, technology, and services.

Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.