Dr McCaig urges Government to PRIORITISE FUND TO THE MEDICAL fiELD
The Coalition Government must prioritise funds for the health sector for the country. This was recommended by, renowned local surgeon Dr Eddie Hansel McCaig during the universal coverage and basic healthcare panel session at the national economic summit yesterday. “Last year we lost 807 nurses which equates to 26.7 per cent or three thousand fifty six nurses,” Dr McCaig said. “Doctors are currently well compensated in Fiji. When I started as an intern, we were paid only $2000 per year. However, now doctors receive a salary of around $45,000 per year. So, salaries are not a concern for doctors at the moment.
“But nurses, I once asked the administration why nurses weren’t getting paid well, and the answer I received was they did not submit their proposal early enough.
“So what should the Government do? It must prioritize funding for areas of high demand. That’s where the money should be allocated to achieve the goals of the sector.”
“So what should this Government do? This government must prioritise, what does this mean, high demand, that’s where you put your money, that’s where the goal is.”
Dr McCaig highlighted that healthcare delivery in the country was a significant problem, and it doesn’t require a specialist to understand the gravity of the situation. He pointed out that the way patients are treated has undergone significant changes over the years due to socio-economic considerations.
He also mentioned that the country lacks the resources to provide all the care that providers promote and the public demands.
To put the discussion in an international perspective, Dr McCaig reminded everyone that no public health system worldwide could adequately take care of its citizens.
He emphasized that good medical services and medicine come at a cost, and the public sector has always played a role in various ways.
“Just to remind us all, that no public health system in the world today can adequately look after its citizens.”
Finances
To address the financial aspect, Dr McCaig suggested that a proper budget be dedicated to the medical field to solve health services issues. He compared Fiji’s spending to that of the USA and New Zealand, with Fiji spending only 3.82 per cent of its GDP in 2019, which equates to $236 per person. He also mentioned that Fiji ranks at number 15 in terms of money spent per GDP, which was worse than the ranking of their soccer team.