NZ injects another $1.5m assistance to Fiji's health sector

The New Zealand government today handed over forty lifesaving Airvos oxygen machines worth of $1.5m to the Health Ministry.

High Commissioner to Fiji Jonathan Curr says, the machines are in addition to the 40 donated in April.

Curr states the assistance is aligned to New Zealand government’s effort, assisting Fiji in the fight against COVID-19.

To date, New Zealand has given an estimated amount of $8m to Fiji in effort to contain the spread of the pandemic.

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete commends the assistance and says the machines will assist most of their frontline health workers.

Dr Waqainabete also confirms that the Ministry has so far tested over 4, 000 Fijians who may have shown some Coronavirus symptoms.

He adds Fiji proves to be one of the top countries to have a strong screening capacity as 99.6 percent of the tests returns negative.

The Minister also confirms that Fiji recorded an estimated 10 leptospirosis and 3 dengue fever cases in recent months.

The machines will be distributed to divisional hospitals across the country.