Issue No: 895; 28 June 2001

The media reports the Permanent Secretary for Health as saying that the doctor and nurse shortage in Fiji is because of the Australian Government opening its doors to doctors and nurses from Fiji.

Today's Fiji Sun reports the Secretary as saying that the political crisis of last year "could be a reason" for the doctor and nurse shortage, but "the Australia government has opened up the market to foreign doctors. They have found out that our doctors are highly skilled and well trained. Previously they had a closed door policy and the number of doctors leaving Fiji wasn't this great."

Since July last year, 32 doctors have left Fiji to work in Australia.

To counter the doctor shortage, the regime has hired 56 doctors from the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the regime has stated that health is an individual responsibility and not state responsibility. The regime's medical superintendent at the CWM Hospital, Dr. Salimoni Tuga is quoted by yesterday's Daily Post as saying: "The quicker people realise that health is an individual responsibility, the better".

The comment came in light of the death of a 10-year old boy whose family could not raise funds for expert medical treatment in Australia. The regime had refused to contribute to the $37,000 needed for the treatment. But earlier it had allowed the use of public funds for overseas treatment of a lawyer in private practice, who is also the lawyer for some terrorists now charged for terrorist related offences.

About a half of Fiji's population fall below the poverty line. Hundreds of people have been dying because of their inability to get adequate medical treatment in the country. The country's health system has collapsed.