MV Veivueti Will Embark On Health Mission To North, Lomaiviti Islands
The government medical ship MV Veivueti will embark on a health mission to Vanua Levu next week and then the Lomaiviti Group of islands two weeks after.
Following concerns raised on Koro Island about the unavailability of dentists on the island, the Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said his medical team would visit Koro after Parliament week.
The first Parliament sitting for the year will start on February 17. “I have given the directive to my health staff to uplift dental and maternity services,” Dr Waqainabete said.
“Next week the medical ship MV
Veivueti will be visiting Vanua Levu and then after parliament week we will cover the Lomaiviti area.”
“The boat has a surgery room, 11 hospital beds, and other medical services. We will spend a few days in Koro to offer our services.” He has told his Lomaiviti health teams to increase island visitations to meet the growing demand from villagers.
“The big problem that we are facing in Koro is the lack of living quarters for our medical staff,” he said.
“In some instances where they are unmarried, we can ask them to share accommodation and stay together in one house but when they are married, they require their own houses because they come with their families.”
He assured Koro islanders that every month a dental team would visit the island to offer their services.
A Koro villager said there was no dentist present on the island and villagers had to pay for boat fares to receive dental services in Savusavu or Suva.
The MV Veivueti has Fiji Emergency Medical Assistance Team (FEMAT) accreditation allowing it to host specialist teams capable of performing major, complex surgeries.
And it speaks of the commitment by your Government that we’re helping build Koro back bigger and better than ever.
The boat has a surgery room, 11 hospital beds, and other medical services. We will spend a few days in Koro to offer our services.
Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete
Minister for Health and Medical Services
Voreqe Bainimarama
Prime Minister