Australian donation will assist with care for home-based patients

1 April 2008

‘Hospital in the Home’ patients in and around Suva will receive improved health care following the provision of a new car by the Australian government to the Ministry of Health, Women and Social Welfare.

Australian High Commissioner James Batley today presented the Hyundai Accent, worth over FJD $20,000, to be used by the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva as part of the Hospital in the Home Project.

“The introduction of a dedicated car to project nursing staff will increase the number of patients they can reach by giving them greater flexibility with travel,” Mr Batley said.

The Hospital in the Home Project aims to return patients to their homes after surgical procedures instead of keeping them in hospital. Patients can also be admitted to the Project from the Hospital’s Accident and Emergency area instead of being sent to a hospital ward. Treating patients at home improves patient welfare and significantly reduces the burden placed on resources at the hospital and other health facilities.

“On-going care is provided in patients’ own homes by visiting nurses from Colonial War Memorial Hospital,” Mr Batley said.

More than 90 patients have received care in their homes since the project began in September 2007.

Funding for project training and personnel has been provided by the Fiji Health Sector Improvement Program, an Australian Government initiative funded through its international aid agency, AusAID. The health program is currently worth over
AUD $20 million over five years.

The Program has worked with the Ministry of Health since 2003 to strengthen the ministry’s capacity to improve the quality of health services to the people of Fiji.


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