All hospitals in Fiji have been instructed to take immediate measures to ensure that all nursing staff are transported safely to their homes at the end of their shifts.
Minister for Health Rosy Akbar says that they were deeply disturbed to learn that some nurses were routinely being dropped off far from their homes when they completed their shifts late at night and were being left to find their own way home.
Akbar says this is obviously unacceptable and presented a serious threat to nurses’ safety.
She says they have taken these concerns to the CWM management and confirmed that this was not authorised by senior management and is not in line with the ministry’s policy.
Akbar adds that she has instructed CWM and all other hospitals in Fiji to present alternative approaches to transport nurses safely to their homes, including the use of additional vehicles or the provision of subsidies for taxi fares.
The Minister reiterated that the safety of their staff including nurses must always come first and is assuring all nurses that this situation will be improved as a matter of urgency and apologized that their safety was being compromised.
