Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
Oceania Hospital in Suva
The Oceania Hospital in Suva is dealing with a severe workforce shortage, losing around 50 clinicians last year due to migration and local job shifts.
This ongoing exodus, worsened in the post-COVID era, is putting pressure on healthcare services.
Hospital CEO Murgessan Pillay warns that the availability of experienced local talent is diminishing, making it increasingly difficult to maintain high-quality patient care.
CEO Murgessan Pillay / Source: Fiji Government
To bridge the gap, the hospital is turning to expatriate professionals, not just to fill vacancies but also to accelerate skill development among local healthcare workers.
“In circumstances like this, maintaining the desired standard and quality health care on a consistent basis is an increasingly difficult challenge. Therefore, dependence on expatriate skills has become a necessity not only to fill labour shortage gaps but also to accelerate the learning curve and development of our local talents.”
Pillay states that private hospitals must adapt to global best practices and innovative solutions to meet the rising demands of healthcare.
Despite staffing challenges, he adds that Oceania Hospital remains committed to improving patient care and service delivery in Fiji’s evolving healthcare landscape
