The Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital will undergo a targeted infrastructure upgrade from November 2025 to mid‑2026 aimed at strengthening roofing and drainage systems across several key buildings, Health Ministry officials have confirmed. The work is part of the hospital’s Priority Infrastructure Plan, delivered in partnership with the Australian Government, and is designed to address long‑standing issues such as leaks and poor waterproofing that have affected services during heavy rain.
The programme will cover the 1965 Building, Colonial Building, Dental Building, Mortuary, Physiotherapy unit, Auditorium, Cytology Laboratory and the Extension Street Building. Health authorities said the scope of works focuses on reinforcing roofs and improving stormwater management to reduce water ingress and related damage, while enhancing safety for patients, visitors and staff and improving the hospital’s overall resilience.
The announced schedule clarifies timing and the specific buildings to be affected, representing the latest development in a broader upgrade effort that Canberra has supported. Australia’s High Commissioner Ewen McDonald revealed earlier that the Australian Government had committed FJD 14.5 million toward critical CWM infrastructure under the Priority Infrastructure Plan. The High Commission has also previously engaged with the Ministry of Health and hospital staff to prioritise urgent maintenance and to ensure local architects, engineers and contractors are involved in delivery.
Officials warned the public that the construction phase will bring temporary disruptions across the hospital campus. Measures are likely to include restricted zones around active work sites, altered pedestrian and vehicle access routes, construction noise and reduced parking availability. Visitors and outpatients have been urged to follow on‑site signage, avoid secured work areas and allow extra time when navigating hospital grounds while works are underway.
Ministry spokespeople emphasised that essential medical services will be maintained throughout the upgrade and that the scheduling seeks to minimise impact on patient care. The improvements are expected not only to fix recurring leak and waterproofing problems but also to contribute to “uninterrupted delivery of essential medical services” and improved healthcare outcomes nationally, the Ministry said in a statement thanking the public for their patience.
This phase follows earlier reporting that identified urgent repairs across CWM Hospital and other regional facilities supported by Australian aid. In January, authorities said a first tranche of works — including immediate roofing repairs — had already been prioritised, with local contractors engaged to carry out the projects. The new November 2025–mid‑2026 timeline narrows the focus to specific buildings and technical repairs, signalling a move from assessment and planning into concentrated remedial action.
As the upgrades begin later this year, hospital administrators and the Ministry have pledged to provide updates on traffic and access changes, and to coordinate with clinical teams to limit disruption to services. The Australian Government and Fiji’s Ministry of Health said the interventions form part of a longer‑term effort to re‑introduce routine maintenance budgeting and prevent the accumulation of avoidable infrastructure problems.
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