The government is navigating discussions around the potential privatization of key healthcare infrastructures.

Health Minister Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu spoke candidly about the government’s ongoing partnership with ASPEN private hospital and the lessons learned from this partnership.

However, he reiterated the importance of extensive consultation before making any decisions about privatizing healthcare infrastructure.

Dr. Lalabalavu says that any move towards privatization comes with both benefits and challenges.

Given the state of Fiji’s public healthcare system which provides free services funded by the government, he cautioned that transitioning to a privatized model requires careful consideration.

The biggest challenge facing the Health Ministry is maintaining and upgrading healthcare infrastructure.

“At the moment, in terms of the infrastructure, the ministry is playing catch up on repairing and improving those infrastructures. Since taking office, and touring most of the cities, we have come to know that in terms of the periodic maintenance, most of these facilities were not done”

Since taking office, Dr. Lalabalavu has toured several health centers and witnessed firsthand the deteriorating conditions of many facilities.

In response, he states that the Ministry has implemented a new approach to address the issue by decentralizing the management of minor works.

This change allows regional divisions to handle their own budgets and make decisions on repairs and upgrades more efficiently.

While progress has been made, Dr. Lalabalavu acknowledged that more work is needed particularly in addressing gaps in medical services and equipment availability.

Some healthcare facilities lack specialized machines, further hampering the delivery of high-quality care.

Moving forward, Dr. Lalabalavu assures that the Ministry will continue to explore all possible solutions including expanding partnerships with the private sector.