Thank you International Women’s Body

Dewan Chand, Suva

I write to thank the International Women's Association for providing $60,000 for upgrading facilities at the Maternity Wing of the CWM Hospital.

It is very generous and thoughtful.

Dr James Fong was delighted that this upgrade will provide much needed privacy for the nursing mothers.

However, I am puzzled by the recent mind boggling revelations at the Road-show hosted for civil servants by the Minister in-charge of the civil service.

According to media reports a sum of $14 million was returned to the government's central fund.

This was a budgeted amount for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

With this fund the Health Ministry could have easily built parking facilities at major hospitals, a new National Diabetes Centre, installed hand washing facilities at all hospitals and health centres, provided toilet paper and paper towels/air hand dryers and liquid soap and so on.

But somewhere along the line the hospital administration failed to do all this.

Is this due to a lackadaisical attitude on their part or is there a glitch in the system. Whatever the reason the Ministry of Health and Medical Services needs to come out clean and explain to the people what went wrong! Fijian tax payers demand an explanation.