An open-body surgery at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital was abruptly interrupted on Monday due to a significant power outage that plunged the operating theatre into darkness. Visiting paediatric surgeon Dr. Neil Price from Melbourne Children’s Hospital reported the scene as “pitch black,” and highlighted the critical risks associated with such infrastructure failures.
The CWM Hospital’s chief paediatric surgeon, Dr. Josese Turagava, expressed his disappointment regarding the hospital’s current conditions, especially during a hurricane when power systems should be most reliable. He recounted that the backup generator did not activate automatically, leading to a 20-minute delay before staff contacted the senior divisional medical officer for assistance. “If this is happening in our main tertiary hospital, you can imagine what smaller hospitals and island clinics are facing,” Dr. Turagava noted, emphasizing the need for urgent improvements in Fiji’s healthcare infrastructure.
This incident comes amidst ongoing issues at CWM Hospital, including non-functional operating theatres and staffing shortages that have compounded pressures on the medical staff. Dr. Turagava highlighted that despite receiving a $15 million funding allocation from the Health Ministry, progress on much-needed repairs has been minimal over the past two years. He stressed, “We still have four operating theatres that need urgent repairs.”
The backdrop of this crisis is a broader systemic issue within Fiji’s healthcare system, as underscored by prior discussions from medical experts regarding the inadequacy of hospital resources, including a critical shortage of approximately 2,000 hospital beds. Dr. Basharat Munshi, the outgoing president of the Fiji Medical Association, noted the urgent financial need of an estimated $4.46 billion to adequately upgrade facilities to meet modern healthcare standards.
While the challenges are daunting, there is a glimmer of hope as the recently launched CWM Hospital master plan aims to address these pressing issues. Health Minister Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu reassured the public that steps are being taken to enhance healthcare delivery, fostering optimism that improvements are on the horizon.
The community of Fiji continues to advocate for the necessary reforms, showcasing resilience and a determination to enhance healthcare access and quality for all citizens.
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