Govt puts money on training doctors

Government has allocated $1.16 million to train doctors here in Fiji. This was revealed by Minister for Health and Medical Services, Jone Usamate in Parliament. He said the national Budget placed emphasis on human resources and the new financial year would also look at the increasing of doctors’ salary between 56 to 81 per cent. “They are very important components. We will be able to develop them, we will be able to retain them and will be able to develop a cohort and to allow us to address the kind of things that we need in the country,” Mr Usamate said.

He said another $0.5 million for the training of other cadres and another $180,000 specifically for the nurses in the Fiji College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Services. Mr Usamate also said the ministry, for the past years has seen the importance of specialist doctors. He said they had been working with the Fiji National University to put together a programme to develop specialists. “We now have around doctors undergoing their training programme to become specialists. 11 have already graduated with their Masters programme,” Mr Usamate said. “Another 11 have undertaken their post graduate attachments after they completed their Masters Training programme.” Edited by Naisa Koroi