On February 2, 1990, The Fiji Times published an article highlighting the directive given by the ministry of health to the Fiji school of medicine in amending its selection criteria for the paramedic course in the same year.
The new criteria selection was to cater for an 80 per cent intake of Rotuman and Fijian students.
The health minister then, Dr Apenisa Kurisaqila, presented instructions to Dr Serupepeli Lomani about the proposed change the previous week. It was also noted the course intake for the year would vary according to the country’s needs.
The Fiji Times also revealed they were unable to retrieve comments on the change the day before the article was published.
These included officials from the relevant ministries; Dr Sakeo Varea, the permanent secretary for health, Sereani Bainimarama, its spokeswoman, including Dr Lomani and Professor Ian Lewis, the then head of the Fiji school of medicine.
Professor Ian Lewis was quoted as saying: “I am not in a position to comment”.
According to The Fiji Times, when he was asked about the standards of FSM, he said the standards would remain unchanged.
He was also asked about opposing the directive given by the minister and if he would also consider resigning from his post if the directive was granted, Dr Lewis chose not to comment.
However, the president of the Fiji medical association, Dr Navendra said this would affect the school’s credibility and standards.
He said basing the selection criteria on their ethnicity and not merit would allow students that were academically qualified to enroll.
“But asking for 80 per cent of places on racial grounds is a bit too much,” Dr Navendra told The Fiji Times.
The development came after he said the decision made by the government in introducing racial parity by specifying there should be a 50 per cent allocation for Rotuman and Fijian students had been done in the past.
“The biggest losers, as usual, shall be the Indian students,” he said. Dr Navendra was also quoted by The Fiji Times: “For example, if there are twenty seats for a discipline and 80 per cent are filled by Fijian and Rotumans, it leaves only four seats for Indians and others.”
He said it would have also been interesting to determine whether the principal of FSM would support or oppose the directive.
“It follows the pattern and trend of what has unfortunately become only too common in this country.
“It seems all our talk of racial balance, parity and merit would have gone out the window and the pendulum has swung as far as racial imbalance.”
In the past years, most of the students from FSM were supported by Fiji government scholarships while private students were only given a chance after selection was done by the public service commission.
The article also noted: “It could not be established yesterday if the 20 per cent places now available for ‘other’ students included regional students.”
