The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has continued to attract, select, recruit, retain and empower the right people to create a diverse, inclusive and engaged workforce.
Minister for Health Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu told the Parliament that in the last two years, much focus was on the effort to retain and reduce the repatriation of nurses, which occurred in 2021 and 2022.
“This has been successfully achieved, given the enormous reduction in the number of nurses leaving the ministry,” Dr Lalabalavu said.
“The ministry is also trying its best to ensure that other health professionals are given the best working conditions and incentives within the ambit of the law.
“There were also measures introduced by the Government earlier for job security purposes, and this includes increasing retirement age, salary increases for the last two financial years, recruitment of retired workers for scarce skill areas, opportunities for training and capacity building locally and abroad, collaboration with partners for overseas short work attachments and seminars.”
He said medical staff, who serve in the rural and maritime areas and occupy staff quarters, do not pay rent.
Dr Lalabalavu said the ministry was still in the process of developing the National Strategic Plan for the health workforce 2025-2034.
“And our technical working group has been having meetings on a monthly basis.
“This plan is to guide the ministry with the required need of human resources in all health professionals for the next 10 years, in alignment to the demand of the services and international standards.”
