Health Minister Dr. Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu announced that his ministry is taking steps to address the surplus of medical interns in the country. This issue was brought to light by the Fiji Medical Association during its recent annual conference, where experienced doctors expressed concerns about the imbalance between the high number of interns and the limited number of supervisors, as well as inadequate clinical exposure.
During his address at the conference, Dr. Lalabalavu emphasized the need to manage the situation. He noted, “While we are fortunate to have a growing number of young, enthusiastic medical interns, the current structure is unable to fully absorb them, resulting in overcrowded rotations and limited learning opportunities.”
The Ministry is exploring various options to tackle the surplus and aims to create opportunities arising from this situation. Additionally, Dr. Lalabalavu revealed that in collaboration with the World Health Organization, they are conducting a comprehensive workforce assessment across the ministry.
“This will help ensure that we have the right number of doctors, nurses, and allied health staff, which will significantly reduce the burnout rates currently affecting many sectors of healthcare,” he added.