Poor response by puBLIC oFfiCErs prompts people to call PM direct

The desperate call by Inoke Moto of Naila, Bau, Tailevu to the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, for help to save his critically injured son is not an isolated case.

In fact direct calls to the PM are common and like a good people’s PM he responds to them whether the issues are big or small, urgent or not urgent. That’s why he is popular with many, particularly the ordinary people. That’s the positive side.

On the other hand it highlights poor service delivery by public officers.

Mr Moto was at the Nausori Health Centre to see his son, Ratu Manoa Drugucava, a victim of a car crash that killed his cousin, Noa Naivakadranu, who was allegedly driving a vehicle that veered off the road and hit a culvert at the Nadali bypass in Nausori.

His son’s serious injury required medical evacuation to Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva by ambulance. But there was no ambulance.

He felt his cries for help were not being heard. In desperation he rang the popular number 9905100 and Mr Bainimarama responded. Not long after that an ambulance from Suva was on its way to Nausori to pick up Ratu Manoa.

While the PM’s assistance was appreciated, there needs to be a review of all divisional and sub-divisional hospitals and health centres on protocols to deal with medical emergencies. Imagine if everyone was calling the PM for help on everything.

He is a busy man and there are weightier matters of national importance that he needs to attend to. This does not diminish the people’s personal calls for help.

But it exposes that public officers are either not performing to acceptable standards or they lack facilities, equipment and transport to carry out their work.

When it comes to medical evacuation, our fire station officers are being trained as first responders in an emergency, whether it’s a fire, accident or medical evacuation.

Nausori Health Centre could have called either the Nausori Fire Station or the newly opened Nakasi Fire Station for backup.

Is there a provision in the protocols to do it? If it isn’t then this could be included in a review.

In situations where it is a matter of life and death every second counts.

It means that all medical facilities and centres must be in a constant state of readiness for any emergency.

Some loss of lives are preventable if attention and treatment are given when needed.

In this case the desperate call by a father and the immediate response by Mr Bainimarama saved the life of a young man.