Empower Pacific CEO Patrick Morgam is urging the Coalition Government to look into Aspen Medical and the provision of services provided under its contract with the Government.
While making submissions at the Fiscal Committee Review public consultations in Lautoka, he said certain important services were not being offered under the public-private partnership agreement signed between the Australian medical service provider and Government.
“A big question for Lautoka is Aspen Medical,” Mr Morgam said.
“That is a private-public partnership hospital and it is a divisional hospital.
“Right now, we are in discussions with Aspen because counselling services is not provided at the hospital and that is a concern for us.
“For the last two years, we have been talking with them to include counselling services. We provide counselling services for government hospitals, which should be included in all hospitals.
“Under their agreement with government, counselling was not included.
“And there are other services like laundry that is not included.
“This is a divisional hospital that used to provide laundry services for other hospitals, including health centres.
“So if it is not included under the agreement with Aspen, who is going to handle laundry services for other health centre and medical facilities? “What about the counselling services? Who is handling that?
“This is something that needs to be looked at by Government.”
In response to queries from this newspaper, Aspen Medical refuted the claims made Mr Morgam saying that counselling services were offered at the Lautoka Hospital.
A representative of Aspen added that the company was not in talks with Empower Pacific to set up its services at the hospital, however, “the company has submitted a proposal to Aspen Medical and this is being reviewed by the executive”.
The company added that laundry services were carried out at Lautoka Hospital by the Aspen Medical team.
