Health Minister, Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete

As the measles immunization campaign continues in the Central division, Fijians are advised to stop harassing health workers.

Health Minister, Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete says teams carrying out the measles vaccination are having to deal with troublesome situations. He says some staff are being harassed while others have had personal items stolen.

Dr Waqainabete says pro-active actions to stem the spread of measles is being carried out on a daily basis but these issues have come under the spotlight.

“We had some initial harassment and again there’s some report that somebody had wanted to steal something but we know overall it’s been good but as I said with any good intentions, we also have to remember that there’s some whose intentions are not pure.”

He says most of these health professionals are women and it’s crucial they carry out services without fear.

“Sixty-seven percent of our ministry of health staff are women and we need to look after our sisters and daughters. We need to talk about it and makes sure they’re protected and they should be able to provide health service without the fear of being harassed and victimized.”

Police say they’re working with the Health Ministry regarding the matter and officers have been deployed to ensure the safety of workers.

Over 85,000 people in the Central Division have been vaccinated since the second phase of the mass immunization campaign began last week.

This is in addition to the approximately 100,000 people who were vaccinated nationwide since the outbreak was declared last month.