The Fijian government has received a formal request from the Vanuatu government to extend their rehabilitation mission in the wake of Cyclone Pam.
Contingent Leader Manasa Tagicakibau has confirmed to FBC News, while an extension has been requested, the actual duration of their continued stay is still being discussed.
The mission for the Fijian contingent including military and medical personnel to assist Vanuatu in their rebuild was to have ended yesterday and the team expected to be back in the country today.
However, Contingent Team leader Manasa Tagicakibau says Vanuatu has requested that they stay and continue to help
“I had a talk with our minister and the permanent secretary that we will be here a bit longer .This afternoon i should be receiving official notification form Fiji on the extension and for how long we will be here in Vanuatu continuing this work and that is the respond from Vanuatu.”
Tagicakibau says the Fijian medical team has conducted six surgeries in the last five days on Tanna Island and delivered eleven babies in which one of them was named after three of the medical officers -namely Samuel Kini Lovobalavu.
In addition more than 300 people were attended too by medical officers in the outpatient department .
“Most of the ref feral cases into Port Villa are being refereed to form the island of Tanna so our medical team were deployed there under request of Vanuatu government NDMO and the ministry of health .They were sent in because most of the health team that have gone into Vanuatu were pulling out after three days on the island but now our medical team is there and they are doing a great work in terms of deliveries.”
Meanwhile the Fijian Engineering Corps has completed construction on some of the schools on Tanna which will resume classes tomorrow while others await more material.
