Fifty-nine thousand individuals are currently registered under the government’s free medication scheme.

Minister for Health Doctor Atonio Lalabalavu highlighted this while responding to questions from the Opposition in Parliament today.

The Minister says 490 individuals have been registered in the kidney dialysis subsidy scheme.

Dr. Lalabalavu adds that as for the General Practitioners Scheme, 17 GPs were engaged as of 2021, but the number has come up to 50 as of now.

He adds that 54 hospitals have outsourced security services, and five hospitals have outsourced housekeeping services, including the Colonial War Memorial Hospital.

The Health Minister has also acknowledged the services provided by Aspen Medical, which now manages the Lautoka and Ba hospitals.

“As it is, they have brought in new services that have improved the services at the Lautoka Hospital: a modern department, new radiology equipment, a theater; they now have a cardiology unit that looks after low-risk cardiac cases.”

Dr. Lalabalavu says the benefit was there; however, he believes that how planning was done to execute the partnership was not done properly.

He highlighted the importance of health and the need to always do thorough planning when discussing issues such as PPP.