The treatment through surgery of vitreoretinal disorder – the end stage of diabetes – costs the Pacific Eye Institute (PEI) almost $6000 per operation, a sum that is unsustainable for the institute.
Institute country manager Fiji Kirti Prasad said that conducting the operation is done free of charge to the public with the $6000 being the cost of consumables alone.
“One surgery costs us around $5000 to $6000, and at the moment, it’s unsustainable for us because we’re providing it for free,” Ms Prasad told The Fiji Times.
“The $6000 is on consumables only, and these are things like tubings, and things that go into the machine, blades, gas and other items.
“That’s not counting the human resources, lighting, and everything.”
Ms Prasad said the procedure was once only accessible to Fijians sent overseas at a cost of around $A10,000 ($F15,000), excluding travel and accommodation.
“But now we are able to provide that through the CWM and PEI partnership, we are now providing that surgery locally.
“From funding from DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and I think LDS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), we were able to purchase the equipment which cost us around $250,000. But the consumable itself is quite expensive, so it’s a struggle and even with the cataract surgeries, there is a cost associated with it.”
Ms Prasad also highlighted the difference between public and private costs.
“If you go into private clinics, they are providing it for $1500 or $2000 for one eye surgery, and we’re doing it for free.
“Then there’s always a misconception that if it’s provided free and it’s a public service, it’s not good.
“The problem is that we can’t charge at the moment because the public policy is that you can’t charge for services from a public hospital.”
However, she said that even though the topic is not on the table right now, some changes will need to be made.
Ms Prasad said the Government is doing as much as it can in supporting institutions like PEI.
