Health Minister Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete.

As part of the leadership, the Ministry of Health is committed to making frequent visits to rural and maritime areas to ensure the safety of their staff.

Health Minister Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete says he is frequently questioned as to what he is doing in these areas.

He says community visitation is crucial as the Ministry cares about its staff who are serving in these areas.

In his earlier visits to rural nursing stations, the Minister highlighted that health officials were threatened in certain communities.

“There are particular areas that have had issues. We have identified that particular area, what we call the red zone, and we have talked to the communities. and I have personally visited a majority of the communities and talked with the community leaders.”

He adds that it is not just the community but the whole of Fiji that needs to act responsibly.

“As a progressive nation, we want to look after our women, we want to continue to empower women, and we want to protect our women so it is best in their interest to look after our staff as majority of them are women”

Waqainabete says some of these areas have improved dramatically.