Transcript
The Nurses Association general secretary, Salanieta Matiavi, says the union is particularly concerned about the employment conditions for nurses working at Lautoka and Ba hospitals where the government is looking to make the changes.
She says the nurses want to let the government know they are not ready and not happy, and plan to fight the move.
"We were happy we were grateful that we had some information and evidence that we learned from. But then every nurse in Fiji were with fear of the unknown ahead of us. But otherwise this is good because we have to take our stand from here."
Salanieta Matiavi says the union is seeking assurance from the Fiji government that any international private healthcare provider will offer nurses at least the equivalent pay and conditions of public service nurses.
Fiji's Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum told parliament in March, Fiji wanted to provide a high quality medical facility that could house high-tech equipment provided by India.
He said during a visit to Fiji in 2014 the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed Fiji as a medical hub for the region due to its strategic location and Prime Minister Bainimarama has recently held further bilateral discussions on the project.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum is quoted in local media as saying
"We have used the International Finance Corporation which has done similar private/public partnerships and we have actually called for expressions of interests and we hope that the final identification of that partner will be done by May. Once that is done, the announcement is made then we'll be able to have that hub provided for Lautoka and Ba. We will then be able to use the Indian Government's undertaking that was provided to us with equipment."
The International Finance Corporation is a part of the World Bank group and says it is excited to be approached by Fiji to structure and tender a public/private partnership between the government, the Fiji National Provident Fund and an internationally-certified hospital operator.
IFC Pacific manager Thomas Jacobs says the Fijian Government has given a clear mandate that both the Lautoka and Ba hospitals are to remain public hospitals, open to all Fijians.
He told local media the project will improve access to quality healthcare services for about 380,000 people in the Western Division.
"This project will lead to upgraded and expanded facilities, such as more modern medical equipment and offer new medical services, including better tertiary care, maternity care and treatment for non-communicable diseases such as heart disease or diabetes. We also anticipate that this project will be able to offer specialised medical services currently not available in the region, which could benefit not only Fijians but also people in neighbouring countries who currently have to travel to countries such as Australia or Singapore."
But Michael Whaites from Public Services International in Australia says he's worried about arrangements like the one proposed in Fiji blurring privatisation with economic development.
"We're really concerned that across the Pacific and indeed across Asia a number of development banks are pushing privatisation as the only solution to development. And yet we see the sustainable development goals set by the UN. You know when you look at the best way to provide health it's through government provided, government run health services, I mean the evidence for that is strong."
He says when governments partner with other organisations to provide a core service like health there are questions about where the government's money goes.
He says even if the agencies involved are apparently non profit, there is a shift in emphasis of who gets the best access to services and increasingly in the region there is a move towards health tourism.
"There is an argument placed that having wealthy foreigners come over and get their elective surgery done sooner benefits the healthcare service in a country like Fiji. But actually what we see is locals excluded from these additional services. And in fact the people who are providing those services are no longer there to provide the services to the community. It's a difficult balance to get."
Michael Whaites says he hopes the Fiji government will consult further with local communities and the nursing workforce before they proceed any further with changes to how its hospitals are run.
This is Jenny Meyer.
