Opposition Crossbencher MP Penioni Ravunawa is urging the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to promptly release the preliminary medical report concerning Ilaisa Toroca. Mr. Toroca, aged 23, passed away last Saturday at Labasa Hospital following what has been described as medical negligence at Waiyevo Hospital in Taveuni.
His father, Sitiveni Johnson, 49, asserts that the negligent actions of the dental staff and doctor at Waiyevo Hospital contributed to his son’s untimely death. “The doctor in Labasa informed me that my son had been transferred there in time and that he would have survived,” he said.
Mr. Johnson reported that his son died just hours after being transferred from Taveuni to Labasa Hospital on the same day. He expressed that his son’s health significantly deteriorated in Taveuni on Friday, and he had repeatedly asked the attending physician to arrange for his son’s transfer that day.
The incident reportedly stemmed from a routine two-tooth extraction that resulted in continuous bleeding, which worsened Mr. Toroca’s condition. Mr. Ravunawa emphasized that the release of the medical report would provide some comfort to the grieving family and help restore public confidence in Fiji’s healthcare system.
“The timely and effective provision of information by the health authority is crucial in situations like this,” he remarked. The MP also highlighted the profound stress caused to the family by the loss of a son in his youth, stressing that any further delay in releasing the official report would only exacerbate the frustrations felt by the family and their relatives.