The Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital in Suva is set to enhance its medical services to become one of the premier healthcare facilities in the region, thanks to a significant investment from Australia.
Australia has announced a $14.7 million investment aimed at redeveloping the CWM Hospital’s master plan. This announcement was made by Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, who is currently in Fiji for the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Affairs Meeting. Wong emphasized the urgency of renovating the hospital by saying, “Australia is investing $14.7 million to develop this master plan.”
The goal of the investment is to create a blueprint that will ensure the hospital provides uninterrupted services while transforming it into a state-of-the-art medical center. The leading consultancy for this master plan is Australian-owned JohnStaff International Development (JID), which is expected to complete the project within 12 to 14 months.
Wong highlighted that the master plan, developed by JohnStaff and its partners, would address the health needs of Fiji, including workforce requirements and infrastructure for a high-quality national referral hospital. She noted the pressing need for improvements, saying, “If you walk through this hospital and talk to staff members, it’s clear that we can’t wait for the completion of that process.”
Additionally, Australia has committed to conducting an urgent engineering assessment of the current hospital facilities to ensure it can continue to operate during the implementation of the master plan. Wong expressed pride in Australia’s role in this initiative, stating they are eager to collaborate for enhanced services and inclusivity.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka praised Australia for its timely support, reiterating the strong partnership between the two nations. He expressed gratitude for the funding aimed at redeveloping the hospital, affirming, “We are very grateful towards the Australian government for giving us money to be able to redevelop our hospital.”
Dr. Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu, Minister for Health and Medical Services, announced the signing of the agreement with Australia, highlighting the need for infrastructure assessments and the challenges posed by space constraints within the hospital.
Alison McKechnie, the CEO of the winning tender, stated that the redevelopment of the master plan would be a priority to ensure high-quality healthcare for Fijians. She acknowledged the Fijian Government’s commitment to this significant project, underscoring the strong ties between Fiji and Australia, and emphasized the transformative potential of the CWM Hospital Master Plan for Fiji’s healthcare future.