The Ministry of Health and Medical Services acknowledge that the current surge in loss of healthcare workers, especially nurses is impacting their ability to deliver operational plans effectively.

This as nurses constitute the largest health workforce in the Ministry.

While responding to a question posed in parliament on the increasing resignation of nurses in the health sector, Minister responsible Dr Atonio Lalabalavu says the Ministry has put together a number of strategies to retain them.

Dr Lalabalavu says this includes adjusting through increase in salary of Registered Nurses to match their years of experience.

“The strategies are increase in salary for registered nurses. Band F according to years of experience, this resulted in the payment of scarce skills for those with more than 15 years of experience. Another point is the introduction of an 8% of gross salary retention allowance for all cadre of nurses.”

Health Minister, Dr Atonio Lalabalavu. 

Dr Lalabalavu says another strategy includes the reintroduction of consolidated allowance for nurses based at nursing stations.

“This will also attract nurses to take on Public Health roles at nursing stations in the rural areas and also relieving appointments should the need arise for zone nurses, Relievers are remunerated with subsistence and meal allowance accordingly sir .”

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The Ministry is also engaging with the Fiji Nursing Council to consider the reduction of the Internship Program from the current 18 months to 12 months

“To allow for the availability of fully fledged nurses to fill up the vacant positions in public health and also the Ministry is also focusing on the welfare of its officers. For nurses, working nursing stations and health centres. Some of their stations and quarters have been identified to have renovations done. Something Sir some of the facilities we have seen that have not been renovated for sometimes so we have allocated funds for that.”

The Ministry of Health & Medical Services is grateful that the budget allocation to support the nursing staff retention strategies had been are approved by Parliament in the National Budget for 2023/2024, and is now implemented by the Ministry.