Johnstaff International Development (JID), an Australian-owned company, has been chosen to implement the $14.7 million redevelopment master plan for the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH). The announcement was made by Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong during an event held at the hospital’s Peace Garden, following a brief tour of several areas, including the Emergency Department, radiology, and the Maternity Ward.
Minister Wong acknowledged the various challenges facing the hospital, such as increased service demand, the rise in non-communicable diseases, demographic shifts, and the impact of substance abuse. She confirmed that following a competitive procurement process, JID was selected to develop the master plan in collaboration with GHD, Silver Thomas Hanley, and International SOS Australasia.
Australia has committed $14.7 million for the development, which aims to assess the future healthcare needs of Fiji and evaluate the workforce and infrastructure required for a high-quality national referral hospital. Wong assured that an urgent and detailed engineering assessment of the existing hospital structures would be conducted to ensure the hospital’s ongoing capability to serve the community during the development and implementation of the master plan.
She expressed confidence that this initiative would enhance health services in Fiji. JID director and acting CEO Alison McKechnie emphasized the importance of collaboration with sub-consultants to devise a master plan that outlines the future vision for the national referral hospital. McKechnie acknowledged that the undertaking would be challenging and time-consuming, requiring broad consultation and active engagement with hospital staff.
Health Minister Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu expressed gratitude for the support from the Australian Government, highlighting that the ministry is pleased to see this project finally moving forward.