“Australian Government’s support to Mental Health Outreach Program”

28 January 2010

The Ministry of Health’s Community Mental Health Outreach Program will now be more mobile in its efforts to increase greater community understanding and acceptance of people living with mental health issues.

This follows the presentation today, by the Counsellor for the Australian Aid Program in Fiji, Sarah Goulding, of a new vehicle to the Ministry for use in the Community Mental Health Outreach program.

The new vehicle, provided under the Fiji Health Sector Improvement Program (FHSIP), will help the program’s outreach efforts to people living with mental health issues.

“I’m delighted to be handing across the keys of this beautiful new vehicle. I’m sure it will travel many miles over its life and be of great use to hospital staff in the very important work that they do with people with mental illness” Ms Goulding said.

The keys to the vehicle were accepted by the Deputy Secretary Public Health, Dr Joe Koroivueta, on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

“The Ministry of Health and particularly the Mental Health Program is grateful to the Australian Government for this timely assistance,” Dr Koroivueta said.

“Lack of transport is one of the many problems we face here at the Ministry of Health and this kind donation will go a long way in ensuring that we are able to do our work better and more efficiently.

“At the same time we thank the Australian Government for the assistance rendered to all our other health programs and hope that they will continue to be a major partner in our endeavour to provide quality healthcare service that is affordable to the people of Fiji,” he said.

The Fiji Health Sector Improvement Program (FHSIP) is a $A27.5million Australian Government initiative, which has worked with the Ministry of Health since 2003 to improve the quality of health services in Fiji. The program has supported the Mental Health Program through training (both post-graduate and community nursing), health promotion activities, equipment, and personnel. In 2009 the Australian Government, through FHSIP, provided funding of $F225,000 for Mental Health initiatives.


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