[File Photo]

The Ministry of Health confirms that there are currently enough healthcare workers manning our hospitals.

With hundreds of Fijians continue to move overseas for lucrative job opportunities, many industries are struggling to fill this gap.

Minister Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says losing skilled workers overseas is inevitable, but the Ministry has this under control.

“We’ve been very fortunate that a large cohort of our staff have remained in Fiji, both with doctors and a large cohort of nurses have remained and of course, we’ve lost some.” 

But he admits that working during peak periods of climate-sensitive diseases is often challenging for them with the numbers that they have.

“Of course we’ve had like in the beginning of the year with the floods and acute illnesses like typhoid, dengue, and leptospirosis. It puts some pressure on our healthcare systems, but we’re running through the motions now. “

Meanwhile, the Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says many of these professionals are filling in the gaps in public hospitals overseas.

“The waiting time at the public hospitals is 24 hrs. You see news articles in Australia of people complaining, and apparently there is a nurse shortage because they were hit pretty hard. They don’t want to do nursing.”

Local health experts say health workers from Fiji are filling in the gaps in overseas hospitals where many health professionals have taken up better job offers in America.