The Health and Medical Services Minister Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu announced that the construction of a new National Rehabilitation Centre in Fiji has received approval from both the Fijian government and the Korean government. This new facility is set to replace the outdated Tamavua Military Hospital, previously known as the Tamavua Rehabilitation Facility.
Dr. Lalabalavu stated that the Cabinet has sanctioned a subsidiary agreement between the Ministry of Health and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to develop Fiji’s National Rehabilitation Centre. KOICA will contribute a grant-in-aid amounting to $22.2 million.
The Minister highlighted that the Ministry of Health has collaborated with KOICA over the past ten months to ensure the construction site is prepared for the KOICA Construction Team, which is expected to commence work next January.
Additionally, the Latter Days Saints Charity has expressed its intent to support the temporary relocation of the rehabilitation services to Twomey Hospital during the construction phase with a funding contribution of $300,000. The Fijian government has also allocated $400,000 for the demolition and site preparation for the new rehabilitation facility.