Hospitals across Viti Levu face risks due to frequent power outages triggered by thunderstorms and heavy rain, exposing gaps in the health system’s infrastructure.

The Health Ministry acknowledged that ageing generators struggled to keep up, raising concerns about patient safety during extended blackouts.

Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa said recent outages including one at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, placed immense pressure on healthcare staff.

“Most of our generators are ageing as well. So we have our support team that are on the ground for the last 24 hours, monitoring and ensuring that patient safety and patient care is not disrupted”

Ravunawa pointed out that mismanagement in previous years had led to the deteriorating state of health facilities, not just in one location but across Fiji.

Hospitals, the Assistant Minister said, were forced to operate in crisis mode, with limited resources to address infrastructure failures.

The demand for healthcare, he said, was rising, mainly along the Suva-Nausori corridor, but the sector struggled to keep pace.

Poor strategic planning and weak alignment between operational needs and long-term policies compounded the problem, leading to a backlog of maintenance issues.

While efforts were underway to improve planning, prioritisation, and staff utilisation, immediate challenges remained.

Ravunawa reiterated the need for civic pride, urging communities to respect hospital facilities and infrastructure.

He acknowledged the support from civil society groups and corporate bodies that stepped in to assist with maintenance efforts.

Despite ongoing issues, Ravunawa said the Ministry remained focused on stabilising hospital operations and ensuring staff had the necessary support.

However, he added that without investment in new infrastructure and maintenance, power failures would continue to pose a serious risk to patient care in Fiji’s health facilities.

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