Fiji’s healthcare system is facing a significant shortfall in hospital beds, with an estimated need for an additional 2,000 beds to adequately serve the country’s population. This concern was raised by Dr. Basharat Munshi, the outgoing president of the Fiji Medical Association, during the 63rd Annual Conference held at the Hilton Resort.
Dr. Munshi highlighted that Fiji requires a total of 3,000 beds given its current population, estimating a shortfall of 1,500 to 2,000 beds. He pointed out that the cost to construct adequate facilities to meet these needs would amount to approximately $4.46 billion to deliver quality care.
Additionally, he addressed ongoing challenges at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWM), specifically mentioning issues with operating theaters. Due to space constraints, the hospital has not been able to conduct elective surgeries and has been focusing solely on emergency cases. While some elective procedures have been performed at Oceania Hospital to reduce the backlog, this also incurs extra costs.
Dr. Munshi noted that equipment breakdowns, such as issues with their CT scan, further strain the healthcare budget due to the need to outsource services. He expressed hope that the newly launched CWM master plan would address these challenges, a sentiment echoed by Minister for Health Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu, who confirmed that the master plan aims to tackle these significant issues in the healthcare system.