Fiji’s emergency response system operates without trained paramedics on the frontlines, a reality that is often misunderstood by the public.
Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu confirmed that, unlike many overseas systems, Fiji does not deploy specialised paramedics as first responders to emergencies in the community.
Speaking on concerns about ambulance response times, Dr Lalabalavu said expectations were frequently shaped by international models where paramedics were dispatched immediately to accident scenes.
However, Fiji’s system is structured differently, with no dedicated cadre of trained paramedics attending emergencies outside hospital settings.
“That’s not the case in Fiji, because we don’t have any specialised paramedics who come as first responders,” he said.
Instead, ambulance services are delivered through a mix of hospital-based resources and outsourced providers.
He clarified that ambulances stationed at hospitals were primarily used for patient transfers between medical facilities rather than responding directly to emergency calls.
“The ambulance that’s available within the hospital is to transport patients within hospitals, referrals.”
He said the emergency department staff at main hospitals may be called to assist with ambulance responses, but only when they were not engaged with other urgent hospital cases.
“Most of the time, nearly all the time, they are busy catering for emergency in that field.
“In those cases, only when they are free, they can get on the ambulance and come.”
He said ambulance services outside hospitals were coordinated through outsourced providers and referral-based dispatch arrangements.
He acknowledged concerns about ambulance response delays in emergency situations, including a reported case last Saturday.
Concerns on social media alleged that numerous emergency calls were made, with no timely response from medical officials.
Dr Lalabalavu urged the public to seek medical attention early in emergencies and to provide basic first aid, including CPR where appropriate, while waiting for assistance.
