The Fiji Journal of Public Health has outlined plans put in place by the Health Ministry to decentralise the health services.
The journal, published every three months, stated there was a need to look at relocating health centres which had no provisions for expansion.
In a bid to see that members of the public receive quality and good health care services, the ministry has also covered areas of improving and modifying health centres recommended for the Nuffield Clinic in Tamavua and the Lami, Makoi, Valelevu, Raiwaqa and Samabula health centres.
“These infrastructural improvements include an emergency bay set up at Raiwaqa Health Centre and laboratory and radiography, ultrasonography inclusions to the health centres,” the journal said.
The ministry’s aim is to reduce by 30 per cent the stress placed on CWM Hospital staff in tending to patients in the Accident and Emergency departments and also in the General Outpatients Department.
The report quoted minister Dr Neil Sharma as saying this method would place doctors at the hospital in a better position to care for the acutely sick. Of the six health centres in the greater Suva, a recent study showed that the Valelevu Health Centre covered the greatest population and also the greatest service utilisation in the Suva sub-division.