Providing perioperative care in times of COVID-19 is a challenge for most health workers.

Lautoka Hospital’s Consultant Anaesthetist, Dr Mara Vukivukiseru says caring for those with COVID-19 and assisting normal patients who come in on a daily basis has been a struggle.

Perioperative care is the practice of ensuring patients are seen through their medical procedures until they recover.

“To look after COVID-19 patients and just looking after the normal patients without COVID-19 it’s a challenge. And to have something like COVID-19 where you have to dress up in a special way, you have to treat things in a particular way, even you have to put through guidelines and SOPs and to be able to train people the COVID-friendly way to be able to approach patients and look after patients.”

Health Minister. Dr Ifereimi Waqainebete says health workers have been dedicated to keeping Fiji safe and procuring more COVID vaccines will ease their work.

“ What we’re assured of is that COVAX will give us the first 20 percent of the vaccine and what we’re also assured of is that Fiji Airways which has been really good to us has told us they are more than happy to pick up the vaccines for us.”

The World Health Organization says health workers have played their role well and Fiji has been applauded for its containment effort.