Dr McCaig: Health Ministry struggling
Retired orthopedic surgeon Dr Eddie McCaig with students from the Fiji School of Medicine who were part of the Surgery Symposium Day at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva yesterday. Picture: JOVESA NAISUA
ONE of Colonial War Memorial Hospital’s (CWMH) most senior surgeons who retired last week claims operations at the country’s largest medical facility is “struggling” because of a lack of equipment, shortage of drugs and manpower and poor management.
Outgoing Fiji National University Professor of Surgery Dr Eddie McCaig claimed budgeting and management deficiencies combined with a lack of equipment, drugs and manpower was impacting on the number of surgeries being performed at CWMH.
Speaking to The Fiji Times during last week’s Surgery Symposium Day, he claimed the Health Ministry was struggling because it was “poorly managed and had failed to budget well.
“Like I mentioned, if we look at disease profiling, 60 per cent of cases admitted to any hospital in the Pacific is because of diabetes,” he said “Of these, 40 per cent of operations are for diabetes, but how much money do we spend for diabetes.
“We are spending money on measles outbreak, I understand that, but oblivious as to how it would improve the health system.
“We need to do disease profiling and we need to identify the diseases to focus on, we need to strategise and act smarter.”
Dr McCaig said of the nine theatres at the CWM Hospital, they would have only two or three working at a time.
“We have to prioritse the operation theatre budget and move forward.”
Questions sent to the Health and Medical Services Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete on Saturday and again yesterday on the comments made by Dr Mc- Caig remain unanswered.
In another presentation by the surgery department’s chief medical officer, specialist orthopedic surgeon Dr Pau Bauleka also pointed out that there was a shortage of specialist surgeons.
As a result of the shortage, he said surgeons were working long hours, up to 10pm on surgical days.
With the retirement of Dr Mcaig — after more than 40 years of service — Fiji’s 900,000 population is being cared for by three specialists.
Outgoing Fiji National University Professor of Surgery Dr Eddie McCaig claimed budgeting and management deficiencies combined with a lack of equipment, drugs and manpower was impacting on the number of surgeries being performed at CWMH.
Speaking to The Fiji Times during last week’s Surgery Symposium Day, he claimed the Health Ministry was struggling because it was “poorly managed and had failed to budget well.
“Like I mentioned, if we look at disease profiling, 60 per cent of cases admitted to any hospital in the Pacific is because of diabetes,” he said “Of these, 40 per cent of operations are for diabetes, but how much money do we spend for diabetes.
“We are spending money on measles outbreak, I understand that, but oblivious as to how it would improve the health system.
“We need to do disease profiling and we need to identify the diseases to focus on, we need to strategise and act smarter.”
Dr McCaig said of the nine theatres at the CWM Hospital, they would have only two or three working at a time.
“We have to prioritse the operation theatre budget and move forward.”
Questions sent to the Health and Medical Services Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete on Saturday and again yesterday on the comments made by Dr Mc- Caig remain unanswered.
In another presentation by the surgery department’s chief medical officer, specialist orthopedic surgeon Dr Pau Bauleka also pointed out that there was a shortage of specialist surgeons.
As a result of the shortage, he said surgeons were working long hours, up to 10pm on surgical days.
With the retirement of Dr Mcaig — after more than 40 years of service — Fiji’s 900,000 population is being cared for by three specialists.