The Government of Australia has pledged an additional $14.5million for critical infrastructure upgrades at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital.
The announcement was made by Australia’s High Commissioner, Ewen McDonald during the launch of the CWM Hospital Priority Infrastructure Plan (PIP) Report.
The funding will support urgent repairs and infrastructure improvements identified in the PIP report, which was developed by a team of technical experts and infrastructure engineers following a comprehensive assessment of the hospital’s condition.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka welcomed the funding, acknowledging that poor maintenance and planning over the years had contributed to the deterioration of public infrastructure, including CWM Hospital.
“A major reason for the dilapidated state of public infrastructure such as CWM Hospital is the lack of proper maintenance, planning, and work over the years,” Mr Rabuka said.
“We spend more on building new infrastructure and neglect the old ones.”
Mr Rabuka revealed that the government is now working to reintroduce periodic maintenance budgeting to avoid similar infrastructure failures in the future.
In addition to the immediate upgrades at CWM, efforts are also underway to develop a new national hospital.
Mr McDonald confirmed that experts are currently assessing potential sites for the new facility, with the Master Plan expected to be finalised next year.
“This is a major undertaking, and we need to get it right to ensure Fiji’s new tertiary hospital meets the country’s future healthcare needs,” Mr McDonald said.
Mr Rabuka reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to modernising and maintaining healthcare facilities as part of its National Development Plan (2025-2029) and Vision 2050 strategy.
“I’m pleased that the preliminary work to improve our flagship hospital has progressed steadily,” Mr Rabuka said.
“I also acknowledge the work and commitment of Joint Staff International Development in delivering this project on time.
“And I extend my gratitude to the Australian Government for their ongoing support through the elevated Vuvale Partnership.”
