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Fiji’s ambulance services have become below standard and will be outsourced to the National Fire Authority (NFA), says Minister for Health Dr Neil Sharma.
Ambulance services were currently being provided mainly by the Ministry of Health through its own ambulance service, through the St John’s Brigade and through other organisations that provided the transport, Sharma said.
He said that difficulties faced by the Ministry of Health in managing its ambulance transport pool, combined with the inefficiency provided by the St John’s Association has “resulted in a below standard ambulance service”.
Sharma said that a review done by the Ministry of Health towards the end of 2008 had recommended that the service be outsourced to the NFA.
He said the ministry had been engaged in consultations with the NFA on the transfer, and the NFA has agreed to the amalgamation of the two services.
Sharma said a National Ambulance Services Legislation would be drafted to provide for the organisation, funding and monitoring of ambulance services in Fiji.
Meanwhile, in another Cabinet decision last week, the Ministry of Finance will seek a soft loan from the EXIM Bank of China to finance phase two of the eGovernment Project.
China had provided a concessional loan of US$20 million to fund phase one of the project.
Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, said the project was 90 percent complete.
He said phase two would focus on more deliveries such as the creation of a National Identity System, strengthening of border control solutions, and improvement of national info-communications infrastructure.
“A major component of Phase 2 of eGovernment will focus on the re-engineering of government processes that will assist in nation-wide exercises such as the right-sizing activities of the civil-service.”
He said phase two should begin in January 2010 and be completed by December 2012.
