The Ministry of Health has identified land for the construction of Fiji’s first dedicated drug rehabilitation hospital, Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu confirmed in Parliament last Friday.
Dr Lalabalavu said while St. Giles Hospital is currently handling drug addiction cases, particularly the acute phase such as drug-induced psychosis, a long-term solution is needed.
“We need a specific rehabilitation hospital just to look after the welfare of drug users and how we can get them back to normalcy,” he said.
The Ministry has already completed the costing of the project and is in discussions with a development partner to support its construction.
Dr Lalabalavu said the facility will not only address the issue of addiction but also help tackle associated problems such as the rise in HIV cases.
Under the National Narcotics Framework, the Ministry’s role includes harm reduction, with a focus on counselling, treatment, rehabilitation, reintegration and reducing barriers to access medically controlled drugs for treatment.
He said existing institutions like St. Giles and NGOs are assisting with acute management, but a dedicated facility is essential for long-term care and reintegration of drug users into society.
