Independent parliamentarian Premila Kumar questioned Health Minister Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu on why less than $1 million of the $5.1 million allocated in the national budget for the upgrade of Labasa Hospital had been used.
“From the $5 million allocated for the upgrade of Labasa Hospital, less than a million dollars was used, which is 16 percent of the budget according to the information posted on the Parliament website. Can the honourable Minister explain why?” she asked during the debate on the 2024-2025 Budget in Parliament last week.
Dr. Lalabalavu explained that electrical issues faced by the contractors led to the low utilization of the budget.
“Because of the electricity capacity within Labasa Hospital, most of the capital projects in terms of the refurbishment of the A&E were put on hold,” Dr. Lalabalavu said.
He added, “We currently have new machines in the Labasa Hospital, such as CT scans and laboratory equipment, but due to the capacity of the electrical supply within Labasa Hospital, it cannot cater to the load of the new equipment. Together with that, the old wirings are a concern, so we brought EFL on board to conduct a whole survey of the hospital and give us a report. We should privatize the electrical work before they can proceed with the completion. That’s what caused the hold-up in Labasa Hospital.”