Apenisa Waqairadovu 
The family of six-month-old Samisoni Vana Ratuvou known as Yaca has lodged an official complaint with the Ministry of Health following his death on Gau Island, alleging serious failures in medical care at the Qarani Health Centre.
In the complaint, addressed to Permanent Secretary for Health Dr. Jemesa Tudravu and other senior officials, the family claims the health facility was initially closed due to water disruption and that Yaca did not receive proper treatment.
They say when they returned late that night, treatment was slow and ineffective, including delays and difficulties administering a drip. The baby was later pronounced dead between 3am and 4am, with dehydration listed as the cause of death.
The grieving mother says the family is shattered, describing Yaca as deeply loved and emphasizing that his short life mattered. She is calling for urgent improvements in remote health services, citing lack of basic resources such as water, inadequate staffing, poor emergency preparedness, and delayed treatment, factors she says contributed to her son’s death.
The mother stressed that she is speaking out not only for Yaca, but for all children on Gau, urging the government to ensure that access to proper healthcare is treated as a basic human right.
The Ministry of Health has not yet confirmed that it has received the complaint.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
