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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad revealed this morning that many people who could use public health centres are instead opting for private General Practitioners, leading to an increase in government healthcare costs post-pandemic.

Prasad highlighted this in Parliament when asked if there are plans to expand the dental care program under the Public-Private Partnership Healthcare Scheme in the new fiscal year.

He responded saying that there are no plans for expansion at this time.

He explained that the dental care program was initially introduced as a COVID-19 measure.

He says it was a sensible decision at the time due to the strain on hospital services, allowing GPs to provide care while the government covered the costs.

Prasad says that while some dental GPs in Suva were offering these services, the government discovered that the scheme’s expansion led to continually increasing demand.

He adds that the government conducted a means test for this scheme in the last budget and encourages people to use public health centres where possible.

The Finance Minister acknowledged that expansion could be considered in the future, but emphasized the need for a thorough assessment.