[File Photo]

Two hundred nurses from Lautoka Hospital have joined Aspen Medical, including some doctors.

Health Minister Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says the exodus of medical staff is a global issue and Fiji is one of the countries that cannot compete with the salaries offered by Middle East countries.

“So now that we have open merit, young staff can bid for higher positions and higher paid positions so these are the many strategies that we are using at the moment. The fact of the matter is we can’t compete with the Middle East, it is the salaries that they give are much higher than what we do, even doctors from New Zealand when I was in NZ, they left NZ to go to the Middle East and go Europe and go to United Kingdom.”

Waqainabete says the ministry is looking at increasing the salaries of long-serving medical officers.

He adds the team is focusing on improving the working conditions of health officials and also the infrastructure around the country and in particular, the Colonial War Memorial Hospital.

He says work at the main hospital in Suva has been delayed due to the pandemic.