Wastewater issues will be resolved: Akbar to villagers
All wastewater at the hospital was fully treated and filtered and no untreated wastewater had been discharged.
The Minister for Health and Medical Services Rosy Akbar met with the landowners of Namelimeli Village in Navua yesterday to address the sewage claims made by the villagers.
On her way to visit health facilities and communities in the Western Division she took time to stop in Navua to look at the sewage issue.
The sewage problem was highlighted two weeks ago when a clean-up of the hospital compound was conducted and they found the outlet led to the river where villagers caught fish and prawns. Landowner Vatemo Rokodugu said the minister spoke to the villagers and looked at the sewage outlet located outside the Navua Hospital property and led into the river which the villagers are fishing from.
He said the minister had assured them that the relevant departments from all the relevant ministries would meet on May 24 to find a solution that would be suitable to resolve the issue.
In a statement after the issue was highlighted in the Fiji Sun on May 7, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, said the Navua Hospital’s sewer system was routinely monitored by the Divisional Medical Officer Central (DMOC) Dr Dave Whippy, Chief Health Inspector Dip Chand and the ministry’s Environmental Health team.
It said all wastewater at the hospital was fully treated and filtered and no untreated wastewater had been discharged.
While a minor leak of clean water occurred, it was quickly remedied by the DMOC and his team and there are no health concerns; the statement said.
The minister had assured them that the relevant departments from all the relevant ministries would meet on May 24 to find a solution that would be suitable to resolve the issue.