The Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital in Suva is set to undergo a significant transformation under the Pacific Healthy Islands Transformation (PHIT) project, aiming to evolve it into a cutting-edge center for medical training and healthcare provision in the Pacific. This ambitious $239.5 million (FJ$541.30 million) initiative, jointly funded by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is projected to generate approximately 11,000 jobs across healthcare sectors throughout the Pacific Islands.
The World Bank, acting as the lead financier, emphasized the CWM’s vital function in educating and supplying healthcare workers to the Pacific region. The upgrade of this facility is deemed crucial for enhancing the overall healthcare system in the area. As the largest nation among the Pacific Island Countries (PICs), Fiji plays a pivotal role in training healthcare professionals and delivering specialized health services regionally.
Fiji National University’s College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, in partnership with CWM Hospital, is primarily responsible for educating healthcare workers in the region. Between 2015 and 2022, nearly 6,500 health professionals graduated from FNU, with many students from Tonga, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu attending the institution for their training. Smaller PICs, such as Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Nauru, have also sent a significant portion of their healthcare workforce to study both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Fiji.
The project allocates approximately $70 million (about FJ$159 million) for the comprehensive overhaul of CWM Hospital, which includes the establishment of a new referral and training hospital, alongside a Radiotherapy Centre. This significant investment signifies a commitment to standardized training and management of healthcare workers in the Pacific, enhancing accreditation processes and improving healthcare access across these island nations.
This venture not only promises to strengthen medical training in Fiji but ultimately aims to uplift the healthcare standards across the region, fostering a healthier future for the Pacific Islands.
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