The Ministry of Health is prioritizing storage issues, as it has been an ongoing concern for a long time.

This was highlighted by Minister for Health Dr Atonio Lalabalavu during the commissioning of Warehouse Rua at the Fiji Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Service Center in Vatuwaqa this morning.

Dr Lalabalavu says the aim of the warehouse extension is to detect and respond to threats while strengthening public health systems across Fiji.

The Health Minister says the warehouse extension will also house critical medical equipment.

“The warehouse that we are commissioning today is part of the package of COVID assistance that was brought forward by the previous government and the World Bank, and finally today we are commissioning the Warehouse Rua, which will house mostly the bio-medical equipment’s for the Ministry of Health and probably medicines as well.”

Dr Lalabalavu states that the warehouse will increase the ministry’s storage capacity and facilitate more efficient supply to hospitals and health centers.

The World Bank Acting Country Manager for the South Pacific, Suzy Yoon, states that medical supplies are expensive for countries that cannot access proper markets, such as those in the Pacific region.

Yoon says that the new warehouse extension will increase capacity for the ministry of finance and the concerned ministries to more efficiently procure essential supplies and medicines.

The Health Minister says that this warehouse will be essential in ensuring there is no shortage of critical medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.

The Warehouse-Rua was funded with approximately $1.9 million with the assistance of the World Bank.