Taito Veikoso

The Fijian Elections Office [‘FEO’] would like to announce the appointment of Ms. Ana Salaivalu Mataiciwa as Supervisor of Elections in an acting capacity effective from today.

Ms. Mataiciwa who is the current Manager Legal at the FEO has been appointed by the President on the advice of the Constitutional Offices Commission this morning.

On her appointment, Ms. Mataiciwa said: “I want to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for my acting appointment and for choosing me for such a time as this to lead this organisation. I will ensure during my tenure that the dignity and integrity of the Office is maintained.”

She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of the South Pacific and joined the FEO in 2014 as the Legal Compliance Coordinator. Ms. Mataiciwa was subsequently appointed as Manager Legal in 2020, she acted as the Deputy Supervisor of Elections between January to April 2022 and she headed the legal team for the 2022 General Election.

In her eight (8) year experience at the FEO, Ms. Mataiciwa has developed electoral procedures and operational manuals for the 2022, 2018 and 2014 General Elections, facilitated amendments to electoral laws, conducted training for FEO stakeholders and handled the Multinational Observer Group as well as the accreditation for media and civil society organizations.

As an integral member of the FEO team, she has also represented the organization internationally in various forums and workshops and is an accredited Facilitator for the Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections [‘BRIDGE’] Program.

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Forcing things down the throat

The current government must ensure that it veers away from this style of doing things and embrace conversation, genuine open discussion and dialogue on issues, policies and laws that are far-reaching reaching and widely affect the population.
BY JOHN KAMEA

DOCTORS will easily tell us that the ability to safely swallow is important for healthy nutrition and hydration.

Swallowing helps break food down into smaller pieces, making digestion easy.

Technically, it triggers the covering of epiglottis in the throat which prevents foods and liquids from entering the windpipe and lungs. Swallowing is one of the easiest things to do.

That is why we feel terribly uneasy when something is forced down our throats; we may choke, have shortness of breath and even vomit things out.

Forcing things down the throat can also be done without involving food and the throat.

It also means a situation when someone is forced to accept or like an idea or belief, or when there is no listening, no compromise, no dialogue and zero consultation.

Good leadership means that leaders should stay away from forcing things down people’s throats.

Good leaders display sensible reasoning and definitive action that results from the ability to listen people out. Without diligently hearing someone out, one cannot expect to find effective solutions. If decisions are made without listening then they would most likely be superficial and ill-considered.

Likewise, a responsible government will listen to its people and value the reservoir of knowledge and experience that exist around it because listening to each other helps to create an environment of respect, peace and tolerance.

It also fosters friendships and mends ruined relationships.
Time and time again, we hear of public ramblings about how decisions, made hastily and in bad faith, have resulted in wrong actions, public anger and civic uproar.

In his New Year’s message at the start of 2013, former PM Voreqe Bainimarama, announced Fiji’s flag change. This decision was done unilaterally and did not involve the citizens of Fiji.

Citizens only participated in the flag design competition, perhaps to rubberstamp government’s decision.

The flag change was to precede the first democratic elections since the coup of 2006 and symbolize the ushering in of the FijiFirst party’s new brand of democracy.

Mr Bainimarama said the flag change was to adopt a symbol that was more aligned with “our” national aspirations in the 21st century.

“We need to replace the symbols on our existing flag that are out of date and no longer relevant, including some anchored to our colonial past,” he said.

“The new flag should reflect Fiji’s position in the world today as a modern and truly independent nation state.”

But the flag, fondly referred to as noble banner blue, was widely loved and admired, and what followed the flag change campaign was a public outcry never experienced before.

People rejected the change because it was forced down Fijians’ throats without proper consent getting and consultation and as a result, the flag that was hoisted for the first time in October 10, 1970 continues to flutter in Fiji skies today.

The proposed Police Bill caused huge public outcry in March 2021.

That was yet another example of how the lack of public dialogue could result in public uproar and distrust in public authorities.

The intention of government was relatively good – “to review the Police Act of 1965” but for a piece of law that was to be far-reaching, especially when it proposed to give a wide scope of powers to the police and affected with people’s right to privacy, the public should have been more actively and widely consulted.

Then there was the Bill 17 of July, 2021, which was criticised by a huge cross-section of the Fiji public.

Again, its problem was – people were not consulted.

Over the past 16 years, the Fiji public had become used to seeing this lack of consultation at play.

There are numerous examples of how laws were passed without regard for proper and genuine public participation.

They have all created a dent in the image of the last government.

This week, Attorney-General Siromi Turaga apologised to journalists and the media for the harassment, abuse and choice of actions by the previous administrators.

He has indicated there would be wide consultation before the Media Industry Development Act 2010 gets reviewed. MIDA too was rammed down people’s throats and a two-hour meeting with industry representatives was used to rubberstamp government’s decision.

Every now and then, we hear debates around the use of the word “Fijian” to refer to all the people of Fiji. This is the result of another change that was made unilaterally, and after Fijian, as a word, had been used since the 1800s to refer to Fiji’s indigenous people. Under the 1997 constitution the words “Fiji Islander” was used to refer to all the people of Fiji.

In fact, we could be called anything, from Fijistani to Vitians, but the underlying key is ensuring there is “consultation” and citizens are given the right to discuss and decide what they want to be called.

Then there’s the never ending talk of the Great Council of Chiefs, a British-invented organisation that had been the apex of Fijian leadership and had been in existence since the 1800s. Again, this was removed unilaterally without consultation.

Many of the changes to policies and laws that we are experiencing or will experience in coming weeks and months are the direct outcome of the unilateral, non-consultative and authoritarian decision- making of the past.

The current government must ensure that it veers away from this style of doing things and embrace conversation, genuine open discussion and dialogue on issues, policies and laws that are far- reaching and widely affect the population. There are signs that PM Sitiveni Rabuka believes in consultation and this is a step in the right direction.

In any form, forcing things down our throats, which was prevalent in the past 16 years, should be rejected!

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People take a look at the new billboard of Fiji flag designs at Ratu Sukuna Park, Suva in 2014. Picture: FILE

As published in the Fiji Times - Sunday 12 February 2023

Significant infrastructural improvements will be seen at CWM Hospital in 3 months – Dr. Nasedra The 100-year-old CWM Hospital is in dire need of repair works with many of the windows and mosquito screens broken, many of the toilets needing plumbi

Ministry works to address 'exodus'
BY ELENA VUCUKULA

THERE has been a significant exodus of medical professionals from the health sector, but the Health Ministry is working to address the issue, says permanent secretary Dr James Fong.

He said while they would “love not to cut back on any service”, they would do so “if it seems the most safe thing to do”.

Dr Fong said this during a media health tour of the Colonial War Memorial Hospital on Wednesday in response to queries from journalists on resignations and the ministry’s ability to maintain services with less staff.

The PS said he did not have the exact numbers in terms of those who had left and from which ministries but the situation was not unique to Fiji.

“We understand that it is a global phenomenon, however, for Fiji specifically trying to reverse the outflow remains a huge challenge,” he said.

“So we have outlined in a number of our write-ups what are the immediate mitigation measures.

“And some of the immediate mitigation measures do involve increasing the cadre of non-clinical staff so that they can take
on the non-clinical duties of the nurses and doctors that have gone.”

Dr Fong said this would allow the remaining group of nurses and doctors to focus more on their clinical duties.

“Even small things like running the patient from the labour ward down to the theatre, we try to avoid having nurses and doctors doing that.

“We try to get the nurses and doctors to be positioned and ready to deliver the service that they want to do and other people to carry out the non-clinical duties.”

Dr Fong said the other option was also looking at increasing the number of community health workers.

“That would be able to engage with our primary health care programs and that would allow a lot of our primary health care workers and doctors to focus on their clinical duties, and leave the non-clinical duties outside.

“We also have a big cadre of health inspectors and other graduates who are not currently employed and again that is another space we are going to look at.

“We had hoped that we would be able to look at some of our retired cadre, but many of our retired cadre are also attracted by the conditions that facilitate the exodus of medical profession.

“So in general terms, those are the areas we are looking at to mitigate the immediate effect in the longer term and ease retention strategies that we will be discussing with the Ministry of Civil Service.

“For CWM specifically, so far we have had to mitigate to the point that we are maintaining the services that we had.”

• Questions sent to former health minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete remained unanswered when this edition went to press.

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Dr Fong given more leeway on funds
BY ELENA VUCUKULA

HEALTH Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong said under the Fiji- First administration he had to seek funds from the Economy Ministry to address issues at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital for any works above $50,000.

Under the people’s coalition Government, he said he was being given more “leeway”.

He said this in response to queries from journalists during a media health tour on Wednesday, as to what efforts the health administration made with the FijiFirst government to address issues at the hospital.

“I have to get approval in order to spend. I can’t just willingly, even it’s from within my budget,” Dr Fong said.

“And once it goes beyond $50,000, I have to engage in processes outside the ministry.”

He said approval had to be sought from the Ministry of Economy under the previous government.

“So essentially, just looking forward and what I’m getting now, there is a lot more push towards allowing us and giving a leeway to move.

“It’s not focused only on the limit and approval process, but also focused on how we engage with various other ministries and partners in repair works.

“Because we have been given quite an assurance about the fact that we now have the mandate to establish a more broad base for our work.

“And that’s more important to us than the ceiling that any government gives.

“It’s just giving us the latitude for us to be able to reach out to other areas that can provide us the support to improve.”

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'Not paid salaries' utilised
BY ELENA VUCUKULA

THE Health Ministry is utilising reserve from the staff who have left to pay overtime and meal allowances to nurses, says permanent secretary Dr James Fong.

At a news conference at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, he said nurses needed to be retained and no amount of pay would be able to mitigate the tiredness and stress they faced on a daily basis.

“One of the mitigation measures I had mentioned is that we are moving funds from various allocations into overtime and meal allowance and we are actively moving it,” he said.

“And we got a bit of reserve because we do have some savings from the number of people who have left — the salaries which had not been paid.

“We still have that as a reserve bank for us to continue to sort out overtime and meal allowances.

“But having said that, the numbers need to be retained because they do get tired.”

Dr Fong said the Fiji Nursing Council has made “quite strong submissions” which he has welcomed.

When asked if doctors were leaving as well, he said the same strategies would be used to try to retain them.

“For the doctors, we have got a lot of health inspectors out there and if I can get them on board, they can take on a lot of non-clinical duties.

“One of the things we learned from COVID-19 was the need for us to set up command centres in various sub divisions and divisions so that they can do this type of monitoring for us on the ground.”

Dr Fong said this would allow a level of engagement with the senior managers “on what is safe and what is unsafe”.

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'No comparison in terms of pay nurses can earn abroad'
BY ELENA VUCUKULA

MEDICAL Superintendent at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital Dr Luke Nasedra says there is no comparison in terms of what nurses can earn abroad compared with what they get in Fiji, but there are ways the Health Ministry can address the issue.

Responding to queries from members of the media during a health tour on Wednesday, he said the ministry could provide attractive remuneration packages to retain nurses.

“That is something the hospital needs to discuss with the health ministry about how we can properly remunerate the nurses,” Dr Nasedra said.

He said they were closely monitoring the ratio of staff members to services being provided in the hospital. “We are looking at the migration of nurses from the health services while looking through the delivery of services we currently have.

“We have not had much of a big impact to tell us we do need to cut back. So we have not reached that stage.”

When asked if nurses were getting over time pay for working 12-hour shifts, Dr Nasedra said the nurses were paid for working overtime and were also entitled to allowances.

• Questions sent to former health minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete yesterday remained unanswered when this edition went to press.

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Poor infrastructure a 'cancer' at CWM Hospital
BY ELENA VUCUKULA

LIMITED sanitation facilities, plumbing issues with the ones that are working, crumbling ceilings and insufficient ventilation.

These were among the many issues highlighted by a senior health professional at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital during a recent media tour of the facility.

“We have two sets of toilets and most of the time children use this,” she said.

“It’s not in good condition and we really need help with infrastructure, especially the plumbing and the structure of doors.

“Most of the time, the plumbing is not good because of the leakages. “Hopefully we’ll get that done soon.

“For sluice and dumping of urine, we are supposed to have a system to flush the waste out, but at the moment it’s not working.
“So we usually use the toilets.”

The senior health professional said the infrastructure issues needed to be urgently addressed.

“We need toilet pans and urinals, and we need shelves to store equipment in.

“And because it’s very humid, broken ceiling fans need to be fixed.

“The ceiling in the wards are coming out, so they need to be maintained.”

She said another issue was insufficient beds and space.

“When wards are full, beds are lined up outside the corridor, and for isolation we do not have a room, but we have a nurses’ room that we usually use at times.

“When this happens, the nurses do not have any rest because their room is used for isolation patients.

“Those that have chicken pox and tuberculosis are cases which need to be isolated.

“And for nurses, we need more because of the isolation wards.

“So manpower and infrastructure – these are our two biggest challenges.”

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As published in the Fiji Times - Saturday 11 February 2023