Fiji’s healthcare system has seen a notable decline in the resignation rates of healthcare professionals, as reported in a recent statement by Health Minister Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu. During the current 2024/2025 fiscal year, 39 doctors and 65 nurses have resigned, reflecting a significant decrease from the alarming figures of 221 doctors and 982 nurses who left during the 2022/2023 fiscal year. The previous fiscal year (2023/2024) also recorded 48 doctor resignations along with 241 nurses.
Minister Lalabalavu attributes this positive trend to strategic workforce interventions designed to enhance job satisfaction among medical professionals. These interventions include raising the retirement age from 55 to 60 years, implementing wage increases for civil servants, and introducing specific retention allowances and salary increments for nursing staff. He expressed optimism that these measures are beginning to reverse the previous high rates of workforce mobility.
Additionally, the ministry is taking steps to address retention challenges in the pharmaceutical sector. To attract newly qualified pharmacists, the ministry has increased their starting salary to over $40,000 per annum, aiming to compete with the financial incentives found in the retail sector.
The efforts to improve financial compensation are being mirrored in the recruitment of medical imaging technologists, who are now being offered competitive salaries starting at more than $30,000 per annum.
The acknowledgment of the decline in resignations offers a hopeful outlook for the future of healthcare in Fiji. As the government continues to innovate and respond effectively to the challenges faced within the healthcare system, the anticipated stabilization of the workforce should enhance the quality of medical services available to the community. With the right investments in both human resources and working conditions, the potential for improved health outcomes grows increasingly promising for the region.
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