Neha Natasha Singh.

The Vinaka Employment Agency has seen a massive increase in the number of nurses applying to work in Dubai.

Director Registrar, Professor Dr Naibuka Nayacakalou says in order to help local nurses, they have introduced exams in Fiji for nurses wanting to work in Dubai.

Professor Dr Naibuka says this is the first time for nurses to sit for their exams here in Fiji and be a qualified Abu Dhabi nurse.

“We farewelled the first batch of nurses which had gone across and they sat their registration exams in Abu Dhabi or in Dubai and thank God they all passed. Since then since last year November, our nurses are now sitting for their registrations exams in Fiji, the so-called HAAD exams.”

Dr Nayacakalou says there are more than 100 pending applications.

Neha Natasha Singh is the first Fijian nurse to pass the test and will be off to work in the United Arab Emirates soon.

“My colleagues who are now in the UAE, they are the first ones to sit for the exams and pass there so I felt really happy and excited, I was quite nervous when I received the phone call when Prof.Dr.Naibuka called me to give me my results.”

There are over 3,000 nurses in our health system not including those private medical clinics.