THE $10million a month paid by Government to Health Care (Fiji) Private Ltd to manage Ba and Lautoka hospitals is for the two facilities to stay fully operational, says Aspen Medical CEO Gavin Whiteside.
Clarifying public assumptions about the high bill paid by taxpayers, Mr Whiteside said the monthly payment was going towards paying staff salary, medicine, insurance and utility bills.
“The $10 million-a-month funds given to Aspen Medical is not for the shareholders,” said Mr Whiteside.
“It goes to staff salaries, medication that we have, the lights that are on, the insurance to cover all of the clinicians that are on site, the workforce mechanisms and the operations that are all back of house.
“So that $10 million is ultimately paying for both Lautoka and Ba to operate.”
Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad confirmed the money was being paid to HCF Pte Ltd.
“Ba and Lautoka have a public private partnership with HCF Ltd and FNPF (Fiji National Provident Fund) in which FNPF has an 80 per cent share and 20 per cent share by Aspen Medical,” said Prof Prasad.
He reiterated that Government was currently reviewing the PPP signed with HCF and Aspen Medical.
“The partnership that we are developing and working on right now is going to be something that will be a model that we can use for the whole country and for the whole medical facilities and improvement of these facilities around the country.
“Right now every citizen that comes to Lautoka and Ba is paid for by government.”
