Fiji’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak is complex and well thought-out, including the plan to fully vaccinate Fijians.
Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said this was the word from an Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) specialist, World Health Organization (WHO) and development partners.
He made the comment while briefly outlining how the ministry would spend its $403 million allocation in the 2021-2022 budget during debate on the 2021-2022 Appropriation Bill in Parliament on Tuesday.
“Our objectives in this budget are threefold,” Dr Waqainabete said.
“The first is to continue with the complex and I say ‘complex’ because this is the word that one of the specialists from the Australian Medical Assistance Team, also this is a word that is coming very clearly from our discussion with WHO, development partners that are working with us.
“This is a complex, well thought-out response to COVID-19 and to fully vaccinate our people – that is our first objective.”
He said the second objective was to continue to strengthen the ministry’s remodelling exercise and universal health coverage on Sustainable Development Goal 3.
“We want to continue to reach the unreached and leave no one behind.
“We had begun on sending out outreach teams by making sure that we are able to hold clinics in isolated health centres and also enabling subdivisional hospitals to be used as secondary-level healthcare facilities.
“Our third objective is, we want to continue to strengthen our health system. So, at the end of this, we have developed a resilience dividend which means that we are making health gains.”
