Ministry Spends $1million on Overseas Medical Treatment
The increasing rate of noncommunicable diseases (NCD) is not only a public health concern, but an economic one too because it incurs financial costs to the health authorities and the families.
This was highlighted during the official launching of the Health and Fitness Awareness programme which has been collaboratively organised by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Courts Fiji Limited and Sports World.
While speaking at the launch, the Health Minister, Hon. Rosy Akbar revealed that annually the ministry spends close to $1million to assist patients with cardiac (heart diseases) to seek treatment overseas.
“There are financial costs associated in facilitating these treatments last year, the ministry had assisted 106 patients in accessing overseas treatment and this included those in urgent need of high risk, cardiac surgeries,” Minister Akbar said. “The ministry has spent around $1million to send these patients for overseas treatment, particularly supporting treatments through Coronary Artery Bypass Graft. So far 46 patients were assisted for open heart surgery performed by overseas surgeons and this amounted to FD $265,560.00
“You can see that NCD’s incurs financial burden to the families and the nation. As such it requires a collaborative effort between the Government, non-government organisation’s, faith-based organisations (FBO’s) and corporate organisations. As a way forward to tackle NCD’s the ministry has capitalised on the corporate sector’s support to intensify awareness on preventing lifestyle diseases.
The Health Minister reiterated that good health was the choice and the key to addressing NCDs through working together to increase community awareness and advocacy. Minister Akbar also thanked Courts Fiji and Sports World for their commitment and support to raise awareness on NCD prevention. Through the Health and Fitness programme there will be preventative messages conveyed through advertising via television, radio, posters, billboard, flyers, social media and online media along with live radio broadcasts.
Apart from these, there will be provision of free medical screenings, healthy eating tips and Fitness tips provided at the various Courts and Sports World locations during weekly outdoor broadcasts.
Further to this, the general public will also be given the opportunity to participate in the exciting programmes like fun run that will be organised later in the year.
Courts Fiji Limited director marketing Anil Senewiratne said the company was proud to support the ministry in its effort to eradicate NCD levels in Fiji.
And that it is also the social responsibility of the non-government organisations and corporate sectors to reach out and assist the Health Ministry in addressing health issues that are of national interest and importance to our Fijian people.
He said the objective of the fitness program was to educate the general public that prevention was better than cure, the way to a healthy and happy life was through choosing to eat right and live actively.