The $2.2 million pharmaceutical warehouse in the Northern Division cannot be fully used to capacity because of electricity constraints.
This was revealed by Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu following confirmation from Labasa Hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Jaoji Vulibeci, that the facility, officially opened in March this year, is not operating at full capacity.
Dr Lalabalavu said while some storage was being done, the warehouse currently only accommodates fast-moving medical supplies due to limited power supply.
“So we can do some amount of storage,” he said. “But currently what we’re using it for is storage of vaccinations and fast-moving items. To use it to its full capacity, the facility needs adequate power.”
He said the warehouse was mainly being used for essential medical supplies to ensure timely distribution to health centres and nursing stations across the Northern Division.
