Health in Fiji

Life expectancy in Fiji is 66 years for men and 72 years for women.[1] Maternal mortality was 59 per 100 000 live births in 2013.

The Human Rights Measurement Initiative[2] finds that Fiji is fulfilling 76.5% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income.[3] When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Fiji achieves 92.1% of what is expected based on its current income.[3] In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves only 77.4% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income.[3] Fiji falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 60.1% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.[3]

Healthcare

Fiji decided in 1977 to take a village-based approach to primary health care with a network of village health workers. This had some effect, particularly in the improvement of water and sewage systems but the country is short of qualified doctors and nurses. The programme has been criticised because of a lack of proper monitoring of the health standards in the communities and villages.[4]

The secretary of Fiji's Medical Association says Fiji compares well with other developing countries.[5] More than 70% of government spending for healthcare is for hospital services. Health financing is all from general taxation as there is no social health insurance. In 2012 this was about 9.4% of overall government expenditure. Total health expenditure was 4% of gross domestic product in 2012. About a third of that was private health expenditure.

There is a network of 98 nursing stations, similar to health posts and mostly in rural areas, 84 health centres, staffed by either a doctor or a nurse practitioner and 19 subdivisional hospitals across the country. About 61% of the public spending for the nursing stations and 26% of spending for hospital inpatient care is directed to services for the poorest 20% of the population. There are also about 130 private general practitioner clinics.[6]

The incidence of chronic kidney disease is increasing. Renal dialysis is provided free of charge in the intensive care unit but further dialysis costs $750 per week, which is beyond the reach of most of the population. The Kidney Dialysis Centre is a private facility.[7]

For highly specialised healthcare, Fiji continues to rely on overseas health systems and expertise. Such arrangements have caused controversy in the past including one episode in which the leading Fijian academic Ganesh Chand, then Vice Chancellor of Fiji National University, allegedly abused his authority by approving the payments for overseas medical treatment for the then Minister of Education and the Chairman of the Fiji National University Council, Filipe Bole.[8]

Hospitals

See also: List of hospitals in Oceania

There are 25 government hospitals (including two national referral hospitals) and three private hospitals providing secondary and tertiary care in Fiji.

Public and Private Hospitals in Fiji[9]
Division Sub-division Role Hospital name Served Population (2007) Bed Capacity
Central N/A National Referral Centre (NRC) St Giles Hospital 850,000 136
Central N/A Tamavua/Twomey Hospital 850,000 91
Central N/A Divisional and NRC Colonial War Memorial Hospital 330,245 458
Central Tailevu Province Subdivisional Hospital (SDH) – Level 2 Korovou Hospital 22,287 17
Central Rewa Province Nausori Maternity Hospital 47,891 15
Central Serua Island/ Namosi Province Navua Hospital 26,220 12
Central Naitasiri Province Vunidawa Hospital 19,332 21
Central Rewa Province Area Medical Wainibokasi Hospital 14,434 14
Eastern Lakeba Island SDH – Level 2 Lakeba Hospital 8,149 12
Eastern Lomaloma District Lomaloma Hospital 26,220 16
Eastern Lomaviti Islands Levuka Hospital 16,400 40
Eastern Kadavu Island Vunisea Hospital 10,285 22
Eastern Rotuma Dependency Area Medical Rotuma Hospital 2,479 14
Eastern Matuku Island Matuku Hospital 650 5
Western Ba Province, Lautoka City Divisional and NRC Lautoka Hospital 345,810 339
Western Ba Province SDH – Level 1 Ba Hospital 60.700 50
Western Tavua District SDH – Level 2 Tavua Hospital 28,160 42
Western Ra Province SDH – Level 2 Rakiraki Hospital 30,940 22
Western Nadi Conurbation SDH – Level 1 Nadi Hospital 80,688 85
Western Nadroga-Navosa Province SDH – Level 1 Sigatoka Hospital 54,400 60
Northern Macuata Province Divisional and NRC Labasa Hospital[10] 133,070 161
Northern Cakaudrove Province SDH – Level 1 Savusavu Hospital 32,204 58
Northern Bua Province SDH – Level 2 Nabouwalu Hospital 14,660 31
Northern Taveuni Island SDH – Level 2 Waiyevo Hospital 15,328 33
Private – NRC Rewa Province, Suva Pacific Specialist Healthcare[Note 1] 40
Private Makogai Island P.J. Towmey Hospital[Note 2]
Private Rewa Province, Suva Suva Bayview Hospital
Private Nasese Nasese Private Hospital 40
Private Ra Province Ra Meternity Hospital 7
Private Nakasi Nine Miles Medical Center
  1. ^ The Pacific Specialist Healthcare hospital opened in 2017[11]
  2. ^ The P.J. Towmey Hospital was first set up on Makogai Island to cater for leprosy patients in 1911. It was moved to Tamavua in 1969.[12]

References

  1. ^ "COUNTRY PROFILE: FIJI". Electives Network. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Human Rights Measurement Initiative – The first global initiative to track the human rights performance of countries". humanrightsmeasurement.org. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  3. ^ a b c d "Fiji - HRMI Rights Tracker". rightstracker.org. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  4. ^ "Primary health care: Fiji's broken dream". WHO. March 2008. Archived from the original on June 19, 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Debate continues over quality of health care in Fiji". Radio NZ. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Financing for universal health coverage in small island states: evidence from the Fiji Islands". BMJ Global Health. March 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  7. ^ "The path to the Human Right to healthcare in Fiji is at risk". Public Services International. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Former FNU VC appears in court".
  9. ^ The Fiji Islands Health System Review (PDF). Vol. 1. World Health Organization, Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. 2011. p. 63. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 2, 2018.
  10. ^ "Public Hospitals". DAISI. 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  11. ^ "Pacific Specialist Healthcare". Pacific Specialist Healthcare. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  12. ^ "Hospital Celebrates 100 Years Of Care". Fiji Sun On lIne. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2018.