Riya Mala 
[Photo: FILE]
The Ministry of Health will now proceed with the recruitment of newly qualified medical interns as Medical Officers.
This comes after the Government granted an exemption from a temporary public service hiring freeze introduced under austerity measures linked to the global fuel crisis.
The decision clears the way for interns who have completed their training and obtained general registration with the Fiji Medical Council to transition into the medical workforce, following months of uncertainty over appointments.
Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa says the exemption was approved by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, allowing the Ministry to move ahead with recruitment despite Ministry of Civil Service Circular No. 6/2026, which had paused new appointments across the public sector.
He adds that the move reflects the Government’s recognition of the urgent need to strengthen Fiji’s healthcare workforce to meet rising demand for medical services.
The Ministry will now begin the recruitment and selection process for Medical Officers in line with established procedures under the OMRS system.
Ravunawa acknowledged the support of the Ministry of Civil Service, the Public Service Commission, the Fiji Medical Council, senior clinicians, and HR teams in enabling the process.
The Ministry expects the recruitment and appointment process to be completed by August 2026.
