The Government will look to recruit more qualified doctors and nurses next year to meet the rising health challenges in the country.
In delivering the 2016 National Budget, Attorney General and Minister for Finance, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says of the $280 million allocated to the Ministry of Health, $9 million will be directed towards recruiting 150 doctors and 200 nurses for health facilities around the country.
$39.4 million will be allocated to Colonial War Memorial Hospital, an increase of $2.6 million, to hire an additional 36 doctors and 20 nurses to its existing staff.
$1.3 million allocated to CWM Hospital to meet its operational expenses such as power supply, laboratory test referrals,rations for patients and oxygen tanks, etc.
The hospital’s maternity ward is expected to undergo a $1.3 million upgrade, including the construction of a new 200-bed unit and a radiotherapy center.
$39.8 million allocated to developing the health infrastructures in all four divisions in the country, with a large portion of this figure to be used in the recruitment of more health professionals.
The Free Medicine Program has an allocation of $10 million, an increased of $2 million for this year,to supply free approved medication to Fijians with an annual income of less than $20,000.
The Fiji Pharmaceutical and Bio-Medical Centre will receive $57 million to cover the purchase of three new vaccines, Rotavirus, Pneumococcal and HPV.
