Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad has confirmed that there are currently no plans to extend the Dental Care Programme under the Private Public Partnership Health Care Scheme to the Northern, Western, and Eastern Divisions. This statement was made in Parliament this week in response to an inquiry from independent Member Penioni Ravunawa.
Prof Prasad, who also serves as the Finance Minister, explained that the scheme was a response to COVID-19 challenges, stating it was a necessary measure at the time due to hospitals struggling to provide services. This approach enabled General Practitioners (GPs) to serve patients with the government’s financial backing.
He mentioned that the scheme is still operational, with some Dental GPs offering services in Suva. However, he pointed out that initiating such schemes often leads to unending expansion demands. Additionally, he noted that many individuals, who could easily access basic services at health centres, were opting for private GPs, leading to rising costs for the government after the pandemic.
In the 2023-2024 Budget, the Coalition Government introduced a means test and allowed those on social welfare to continue using the GP Scheme. Prof Prasad emphasized that individuals who are capable of using public health facilities, especially those located near health centres, should do so.
He compared the situation to the financial model of Aspen Medical’s PPP, indicating that the demand assessment was not adequately considered at the outset, resulting in escalating costs and demand, with patients who could utilize health centres instead seeking services at public hospitals funded by the government.