President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu told health leaders yesterday that genuine investment in healthcare — especially for the poor — is not only a moral duty but a political imperative.
Speaking at the Fiji Health Transformation Summit in Suva, he said placing healthcare at the top of the national agenda requires difficult choices about what follows in priority, including resourcing police, tackling drugs, and supporting small businesses.
But he warned that no matter how competing needs are balanced, hospitals will always demand resources because people depend on them.
“A hospital is like a shark with its mouth wide open, ready to chew whatever comes before it,” he said.
The President urged officials to plan well ahead and ensure reforms are driven by the needs of ordinary people.
“Let the people come first. Bring in the poor — that is what will guarantee the next government remains in government,” he told delegates.
He said the summit’s work will help map out a future health system that meets the needs of all Fijians.
