FIJI National University (FNU) plans to build an $18million medical campus in Lautoka.
"We have been in talks with the government and the Lautoka City Council about acquiring some land to build our medical campus," university vice chancellor Doctor Ganesh Chand said.
He said negotiations were continuing with different landowners to find a suitable venue.
"The full campus is expected to cost about $18 million.
"Such an investment in the city will be a big boost to both health and medical infrastructure development in Fiji, as well as the economic growth of Lautoka City," Dr Chand said.
"Recent developments show encouraging signs from different stakeholders," he said.
He said university hospitals operated adjacent to main hospitals all over the world.
"The basic idea is that we would build both, teaching and super specialty facilities focusing on obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) at Lautoka.
"The O&G facility will be state-of-the-art, and would become the main centre for specialist O&G issues for not only Fiji but the entire South Pacific region," Dr Chand said.
The proposed facility, Dr Chand said, would make a marked contribution to the Millinium Development Goal (MDG) on maternal health and place Fiji as a leader in achieving the MDG objectives.
Commissioner Western Commander Joeli Cawaki confirmed the proposed plan is now with him.
"We have the plan with us but the issue of where it will be built still needs to be discussed," Cdr Cawaki said.