EXPECTING mothers on Ovalau and surrounding islands are forced to travel to Suva or Nausori for pregnancy scans and childbirth because of limited maternity services in Levuka, placing extra financial and logistical burdens on families.
Lina Anne, a mother of two, said the situation had remained largely unchanged over the past five years, with women continuing to leave their homes to access essential maternal healthcare.
Ms Anne said she had to travel to either Nausori or Suva for ultrasound scans during her pregnancies, paying for her own boat fare while spending time away from her family.
She said she also delivered her child outside Ovalau because local facilities could not cater for her as a high-risk mother.
“So during my time, when I used to go for scanning, I have to travel across to either Nausori or Suva,” she said.
“It was challenging because I have to pay for my own boat fare and also staying away from my family.
“Even for delivery, I had to deliver the other side because of the, I could say, the facility couldn’t accommodate the issue because I was a high-risk mother.”
Ms Anne said the challenges were still affecting expectant mothers on the island today, including one of her colleagues who recently had to travel off the island for pregnancy booking appointments.
“I’m on the mainland. Even for those, I don’t know what it’s like for those that come in from Moturiki, from Ogea, to travel across to another, with the cost of transportation is high.
“So the situation is worse than what I used to go through.”
Ms Anne recalled that a visiting ultrasound technician had previously travelled to Levuka for several days at a time, allowing local health staff to schedule pregnant women for scans during those visits.
She said the arrangement had worked well but was eventually discontinued.
Levuka Sub-Divisional Medical Officer Dr Malakai Ranuve confirmed that Levuka Hospital has an ultrasound machine but does not have a qualified technician based on the island.
He said the issue had been raised with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and the hospital was awaiting the appointment of a technician to Levuka.
