Six buildings at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital have been found to be “structurally unsafe and below World Health Organization standards, and need to be demolished or reconstructed,” while seven others are “structurally safe but need immediate repairs.”
These conclusions emerged from an engineering assessment conducted in 2019 and were disclosed in Expression of Interest (EOI) documents released by the consulting and engineering services firm RPS Group, appointed for master planning services for CWM Hospital. This project is sponsored by the Australian Government under its Fiji Program Support Facility (FPSF).
RPS Group, a division of Tetra Tech International Development Pty Ltd, is currently contracted by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to manage the FPSF.
The EOI invitation, dated April 2, 2024, provides a detailed overview of the deteriorating condition of Fiji’s largest and most critical healthcare facility, noting that no major repair works have been undertaken since the 2019 engineering assessment.
“The CWM Hospital is Fiji’s largest and primary referral hospital. Located in the capital Suva, it encompasses 14 building sets, housing 535 beds, 31 wards, and 8 operating theatres,” the document states.
“In 2022, CWM Hospital managed 26,118 admissions, 6771 births, and 316,446 outpatient visits. However, these figures are likely significantly underreported.”
According to the World Bank’s aide memoire dated October 2023, “many construction materials are experiencing rust and deterioration due to natural hazards (tropical cyclones, humidity, droughts), alongside seismic activity. The older buildings lack consistent maintenance, impacting both healthcare service delivery and operational efficiency.”
“For the last two decades, CWM Hospital has operated without a comprehensive Master Plan or a national or central division Clinical Services Plan,” the EOI further states. “This has resulted in significant data gaps that make it challenging to manage current and future healthcare needs effectively, including forecasting demographic changes and trends in disease patterns.”
The Australian Government has intervened to assist Fiji after a formal request from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) to the Australian High Commission in Fiji in November last year.
Australia’s High Commissioner to Fiji, Ewen McDonald, revealed that a company to lead the renovation work will be announced soon.
“We are working very closely to deliver an infrastructure master plan,” he said during a joint announcement with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad on Australia’s $87 million funding support under the upgraded Vuvale Partnership program.
“We understand how crucial this work is not only to the Deputy Prime Minister and the government but also to the people of Fiji. I expect the company that will lead this work to be announced in the coming weeks. This will then set the work in motion. It’s not an overnight task, but it’s critical that the master plan is executed well.”
In March, Australia announced $14.7 million in support to fund the CWMH master plan.