Health in Fiji


Life expectancy in Fiji is 66 years for men and 72 years for women. Maternal mortality was 59 per 100 000 live births in 2013.

Healthcare

Fiji decided in 1977 to take a village-based approach to primary health care with a network of village health workers. This had some effect, particularly in the improvement of water and sewage systems but the country is short of qualified doctors and nurses. The programme has been criticised because of a lack of proper monitoring of the health standards in the communities and villages.
The secretary of Fiji's Medical Association says Fiji compares well with other developing countries. More than 70% of government spending for healthcare is for hospital services. Health financing is all from general taxation as there is no social health insurance. In 2012 this was about 9.4% of overall government expenditure. Total health expenditure was 4% of gross domestic product in 2012. About a third of that was private health expenditure.
There is a network of 98 nursing stations, similar to health posts and mostly in rural areas, 84 health centres, staffed by either a doctor or a nurse practitioner and 19 subdivisional hospitals across the country. About 61% of the public spending for the nursing stations and 26% of spending for hospital inpatient care is directed to services for the poorest 20% of the population. There are also about 130 private general practitioner clinics.
The incidence of chronic kidney disease is increasing. Renal dialysis is provided free of charge in the intensive care unit but further dialysis costs $750 per week, which is beyond the reach of most of the population. The Kidney Dialysis Centre is a private facility.

Hospitals

There are 25 government hospitals and three private hospitals providing secondary and tertiary care in Fiji.
DivisionSub-divisionRoleHospital nameServed Population Bed Capacity
CentralN/ANational Referral Centre St Giles Hospital850,000136
CentralN/ATamavua/Twomey Hospital850,00091
CentralN/ADivisional and NRCColonial War Memorial Hospital330,245458
CentralTailevu ProvinceSubdivisional Hospital – Level 2Korovou Hospital22,28717
CentralRewa ProvinceNausori Maternity Hospital47,89115
CentralSerua Island/ Namosi ProvinceNavua Hospital26,22012
CentralNaitasiri ProvinceVunidawa Hospital19,33221
CentralRewa ProvinceArea MedicalWainibokasi Hospital14,43414
EasternLakeba IslandSDH – Level 2Lakeba Hospital8,14912
EasternLomaloma DistrictLomaloma Hospital26,22016
EasternLomaviti IslandsLevuka Hospital16,40040
EasternKadavu IslandVunisea Hospital10,28522
EasternRotuma DependencyArea MedicalRotuma Hospital2,47914
EasternMatuku IslandMatuku Hospital6505
WesternBa Province, Lautoka CityDivisional and NRCLautoka Hospital345,810339
WesternBa ProvinceSDH – Level 1Ba Hospital60.70050
WesternTavua DistrictSDH – Level 2Tavua Hospital28,16042
WesternRa ProvinceSDH – Level 2Rakiraki Hospital30,94022
WesternNadi ConurbationSDH – Level 1Nadi Hospital80,68885
WesterbNadroga-Navosa ProvinceSDH – Level 1Sigatoka Hospital54,40060
NorthernMacuata ProvinceDivisional and NRCLabasa Hospital133,070161
NorthernCakaudrove ProvinceSDH – Level 1Savusavu Hospital32,20458
NorthernBua ProvinceSDH – Level 2Nabouwalu Hospital14,66031
NorthernTaveuni IslandSDH – Level 2Waiyevo Hospital15,32833
Private NRCRewa Province, SuvaPacific Specialist Healthcare40
PrivateMakogai IslandP.J. Towmey Hospital
PrivateRewa Province, SuvaSuva Bayview Hospital
PrivateNaseseNasese Medical Centre2
PrivateRa ProvinceRa Meternity Hospital7