The Minister for Health and Medical Services, Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu, has announced that the establishment of a new National Rehabilitation Centre has received approval from both the Fiji government and South Korea. This new centre will replace the old Tamavua Military Hospital, which previously served as the Tamavua Rehabilitation Facility.
Dr. Lalabalavu explained that the Cabinet has ratified a subsidiary arrangement between the Ministry of Health and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to facilitate the development of Fiji’s National Rehabilitation Centre. KOICA is set to provide a grant of $22.2 million for this project.
The Minister reported that his ministry and KOICA have collaborated closely over the past ten months to prepare the site for the KOICA Construction Team, which is expected to begin work at the location in January.
Additionally, the Latter-day Saints Charity has pledged to contribute $300,000 to assist in the temporary relocation of the rehabilitation services to Twomey Hospital during the construction period. The Government has also earmarked $400,000 for the demolition and preparation of the existing hospital site for the new facility.