Three days is not enough to register Lautoka’s population of more than 70,000 people for the Free Medicine Program (FMP), says Lautoka Residents and Ratepayers Association president Narayan Reddy.
The Heath Ministry recently posted on its social media website it would carry out a three-day registration drive for the program from Monday to Thursday last week at Vidilo House.
“I think the registration time, if the Government really wants the people to re-register, they should give us three months because of the insufficient number of people doing the registration,” Mr Reddy said.
“They had about 150 to 200 people waiting outside to be registered.
“It’s frustrating that the number of people conducting the registration is not enough.”
Mr Reddy said this would inconvenience members of the public who would have to find time from busy work schedules to register.
“Why do we need a new registration?
“The hospital card is already given to the public and I fail to understand why the public has to go and re-register.
“If you look at Nadi, Sigatoka, Suva, Tavua or Rakiraki, they go to the government hospital after visiting the doctor and the outpatients, then they go to the government pharmacy, collect the free medication and go home.
“But people of Lautoka and Ba have to re-register.”
Mr Reddy said more registration stations need to be set up in densely populated areas in Lautoka.
“So, they should have one station in Simla ward, Waiyavi, two in Natabua, to make it accessible for the people.
“The Government should have learned from the Vodafone e-ticketing problem. The registration process, the long queues, people not getting registered on time.”
Nadia Daurewa, of Razak Rd, echoed similar sentiments.
“I think they should extend it because it wasn’t well advertised,” she said.
“We found out through word of mouth and we didn’t know about the requirements. We were told we could go online.
“I’m just thinking about the people who don’t know how to access it online or found out at the last minute.”