DEPUTY Opposition Leader Parveen Bala Kumar (pictured) has slammed Aspen Medical’s decision to reduce its outpatient clinic services at the Ba Hospital.
Mr Kumar said the decision was nothing short of a death sentence for the people of Ba, Tavua and surrounding districts.
“For generations, Ba was denied a proper public hospital until the FijiFirst government delivered once in a lifeline for thousands,” Mr Kumar said.
“Now, this Coalition Government, in its infinite neglect, has decided the sick, the elderly and the vulnerable of the West deserve less than what private GPs offer.
“Reducing GOPD services to a part-time operation while forcing patients into a chaotic, under-resourced triage system, is a betrayal of the highest order.”
Mr Kumar said people had seen what happened when emergency departments were overwhelmed.
“People die waiting and, mark my words, more will die because of this reckless decision.
“This is the same government that has spent millions of dollars on travel junkets and divisive reforms while Fijians suffer, and now they are robbing the people of Ba of basic health care, just weeks after the tragic deaths of young students in Ba.
“The people of Ba and surrounding districts deserve better.”
Mr Kumar said Fijians deserved a government that cared and put life before politics.
“I urge the minister for health to intervene and restore full GOPD services now.”
Questions sent to Aspen Medical remain unanswered.
