Many of Suva’s most vulnerable individuals have been unable to receive their monthly family assistance allowance of $7 due to a backlog in processing at the Suva Welfare Office. This issue has persisted for over three months.
An influx of beneficiaries visiting the Bayly Clinic’s welfare office put significant strain on the clinic’s resources, nearly leading to its closure. The welfare department acknowledged the backlog, which began in July 1978, attributing it to a serious shortage of staff.
Shirly Hemming of the Bayly Clinic indicated that the clinic was overwhelmed by a surge of individuals in dire need, unable to access their family assistance funds for the month. With 240 needy families relying on weekly food packages, the clinic could not turn them away but found itself in a critical situation.
To manage the increased demand, the clinic had to reduce its supplies of rice and dhal. Hemming mentioned that the office received only $750 monthly from the Bayly Trust, and the clinic was already depleting its reserve resources. She warned that, at the current rate, they could only sustain operations for another four to five months before needing to close.
Hemming noted that there were numerous voucher books pending processing at the Government Suva Welfare Office, which had been processed but awaited signatures.