Ministry Has Enough Ventilators: Minister

There are sufficient ventilators to cater for the health sector during the second wave of COVID-19, Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete confirmed.

Dr Waqainabete made the comment in light of concerns regarding the availability of ventilators at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.

“We have enough ventilators at the moment. We have enough oxygen, but certainly we have not arrived here by fluke. We prepared as much as we can within the budgetary provisions that Government has given us in the two budgets, and also the support of multilateral partners,” he said.

Dr Waqainabete dismissed claims that they would run out of ventilators as daily recorded new cases spike in the past few days. He reassured that they would continue to make sure there were enough machines needed in the current pandemic.

“I think usually we have more than 50 (ventilator machines). I think 80 ventilators because there’s the CWM normal and CWM COVID, and we also have a small ICU (Intensive Care Unit) in the Military Hospital,” the minister said.

He said the United States of America Government supplied ventilators, and the New Zealand government also provided Airvo hiflow oxygen machines.

“What we do know is that the management of severe COVID-19 is making sure that we pick them up early and give them oxygen, specifically through the mask or Airvo as much as we can to try and prevent them from getting on the ventilator as much as possible,” he said.

He urged members of the public to get vaccinated to reduce the transmission of the deadly virus in their communities.