The Ministry of Health received a $10m assistance from the Japanese Government today to help the country's COVID-19 response effort.

The Ministry of Health received a $10m assistance from the Japanese Government today to help the country’s COVID-19 response effort.

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete says the assistance will greatly help the Ministry in its effort to remodel health care service delivery.

“This is very timely throughout the Ministry of Health with this COVID-19 that we’ve been facing, we’ve had to look at ways to remodel our health care service delivery model and another way it will empower and reach value add the more than 200 facilities we have all over Fiji.”

Japanese Ambassador to Fiji Masahiro Omura says they have been assisting Fiji in other major projects over the years within the health sector.

“It will support the capacity of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to deliver quality health care to the people of Fiji.”

The Health Minister adds it is important for the Ministry to decentralize its services and ensure health centers around the country are properly resourced to deal with infectious diseases such as COVID-19.