Elderly and disabled residents of Naisogowaluvu and Nawaigasa settlements near Suva have lauded the Health Ministry for its community nursing initiative.
For 66-year-old Loraini Bulia, losing the use of her feet four years ago has meant being confined to the inside of her home. She crawls around the house, and does as much as she can on her own.
“She cleans up and washes herself in a makeshift shower on her porch but the biggest challenge is going to the toilet because it is located in a separate building outside the house,” said her son, Viliame Buliciri who lives next door.
“We are grateful for the community nursing initiative because she gets regular health checks by the nurses who come around.
“The only issue she has right now is lack of mobility, so if there is some way we could get a wheelchair, it would really help.”
Lami District Council of Social Services co-ordinator Ananai Tagacake said he was also exploring the possibility of establishing a sanitation facility inside Ms Bulia’s home.
Another resident, Sakeasi Yabia, had his left foot amputated in 2016 and right leg cut off above the knee in 2017.
The 67-year-old retired policeman said if not for the community nursing scheme, he would have faced a lot off difficulty in post-operation care.
“The only way in and out of our settlement is the 200 steps that lead to Nakauvadra Rd,” he said. “After my surgery, I had to be carried down.
“And because I needed to get regular dressing changes and health checks, it would have been very hard for the boys to carry me up and down.
“The community nurses came and did all the dressing and medical checks right here in my home, making things a lot easier for me and my family.”
