Fiji’s healthcare system faces a significant shortfall of hospital beds, with a deficit of 1,500 to 2,000 beds needed to adequately serve the population, according to Dr. Basharat Munshi, the outgoing president of the Fiji Medical Association. Speaking at the association’s 63rd Annual Conference at the Hilton Resort, he emphasized that the country requires approximately 3,000 beds to meet current demands.
Dr. Munshi estimated that the cost to construct the necessary facilities to provide optimal care would be around $4.46 billion.
At the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWM), recurring issues have been hampering operations. Dr. Munshi pointed out that limited theater space restricts the hospital’s ability to perform elective surgeries, which often face significant waiting times. Emergency cases take priority due to the lack of available operating rooms. Some elective procedures have been conducted at Oceania Hospital to relieve the backlog, but this has financial implications.
When equipment such as the CT scanner malfunctions, the hospital has to outsource these services, further straining the budget. Despite these challenges, Dr. Munshi expressed hope that the CWM master plan launched last month would address these critical issues.
Minister for Health Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu reaffirmed that the master plan would focus on resolving these ongoing problems within the healthcare system.