Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister, Hayashi Yoshimasha (From left), Minister for Health, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete. [Source: Fijian Government/Facebook]

Japan’s assistance continues to impact medical work in Fiji says Minister for Health, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete.

He lauded Japan during a recent meeting with the visiting Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister, Hayashi Yoshimasha.

Doctor Waqainabete says during the height of the pandemic in 2020, the Japanese Government provided assistance worth $10 million.

[Source: Fijian Government/Facebook]

This was done through Japan’s Economic and Social Development Programme and Japan International Cooperation Systems, which enabled the procurement of equipment to support the efficient delivery of health and medical services.

Doctor Waqainabete says this equipment included CT scanners, X-ray equipment, and ultra-low temperature freezers for storage of Pfizer-BioNTech.

He adds since 2019, Japan has supported the Ministry by dispatching experts and volunteers in areas like non-communicable diseases and total quality management.

[Source: Fijian Government/Facebook]

The Minister says this project is currently progressing and earmarked to be completed by next year as it is being piloted in six hospitals.

“As part of the project, the 5S-KAIZEN-TQM approach will be introduced and disseminated to other health facilities through sharing of good practices that have been obtained through the pilot activities.”

Last February, Japan also provided two cooler trucks worth $374,310 through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects.

This project assisted the Fiji Pharmaceutical Biomedical Services in meeting the WHO cold chain standards, strengthening its capacity to ensure the quality distribution of vaccines.