Minister for Health Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu has told Parliament the Government is introducing several measures to attract and retain medical professionals beyond the nursing workforce.
He said the ministry had stabilised the loss of nurses, whose resignations peaked in 2021, and was now focused on improving conditions for medical officers, dental officers, medical laboratory scientists, medical imaging technologists, radiologists and pharmacists.
“We continue to uphold our commitment to attract, select, recruit, retain and empower a diverse, inclusive and engaged workforce,” he said.
Dr Lalabalavu listed a series of incentives, including increases to the retirement age, two years of consecutive pay rises, re-engagement of retired workers, training and capacity-building opportunities both locally and abroad, and overseas attachments through partner agencies.
Medical officers, he said, had a separate salary structure and received rural and remote allowances, while dental officers were paid on-call allowances.
“All medical scientists were recruited at Step F, Step 4, with a 96 per cent fill rate despite increasing service demand.”
He warned, however, that the ministry still struggled to recruit specialists in some areas because graduates were being lured by better offers elsewhere.
Training institutions had also shifted from diploma to degree programs, prompting more graduates to become dental hygienists rather than dental therapists.
A National Health Workforce Strategic Plan for 2024-2034 was being developed to address these challenges and plan for human resource needs over the next decade.
Opposition MP Alvick Maharaj urged the ministry to create more managerial and director-level positions so younger allied health workers could progress into leadership roles before reaching principal level.
Dr Lalabalavu said the new strategic plan would guide recommendations such as realigning positions to improve career pathways and incentives.
In response to MP Rinesh Sharma’s question on medical laboratory scientists not receiving overtime, the minister said: “Overtime is being paid. If they are not being paid, that can be addressed.”
