Australia Contributes to Outreach Clinics for Fiji’s isolated Nursing Stations

21 July 2008

People living in Matuku, Natewa and Kabara will have access to professional health treatment following Australia’s donation of three new boats to Fiji’s Ministry of Health today.

The boats were handed over by Australian High Commissioner, James Batley, in a short ceremony at the Royal Suva Yacht Club. Funding for the boats, amounting to F$80,000, was provided under AusAID’s Fiji Health Sector Improvement Program (FHSIP).

Appropriately named after the areas they will serve two of the boats, aluminium 25 footers, have been named MD Kabara and MD Natewa while the third, a 17 footer wooden frame, has been named MD Matuku. All three boats are powered by outboard engines.

While the boats have been designed to accommodate a patient if the need arises, they will be used primarily for health care visits under the Ministry of Health’s rural health outreach program.

The Fiji Health Sector Improvement Program (FHSIP) is a five-year bilateral program of support to Fiji’s Ministry of Health by Australia through is development assistance agency, AusAID.

As part of the FHSIP, the Australian Government provides support for rural health services including the provision of vital infrastructure.

Last year Australia invested close to F$500,000 in rural health infrastructure in Fiji, with a further F$402,000 committed this year.

The three new boats are in addition to five others, acquired in 2006 and 2007, and which are already servicing remote island and coastal communities around the country.

**ENDS**