The Fijian health system and workforce were devastated by COVID-19, but the fierce determination of nurses and midwives could lead to its renaissance.
COVID-19 smashed the Fijian health care system. In 2021, 26 per cent of Fijian nurses quit their jobs. The situation worsened in the following two years. Nurses and midwives were demoralised and exhausted as their colleagues left in droves.
But there has been a revival. Spearheaded by the Fiji Nursing Association (FNA), who have won stunning pay increases, this should attract nurses back to the healthcare system.
During their pay campaign the FNA mobilised nurses, which led to a 70 per cent vote of the total workforce in favour of industrial action.
The campaign led to a stunning outcome, with differing classifications receiving 16.67 per cent, 28.21 per cent, 33.3 per cent and 41.3 per cent pay increases for nurses.
The General Secretary of the FNA, Filomena Talawadua, attributed the win to “patience, dialogue, and providing evidence on the ground”.
Fijian nurses still face many challenges. The nation is composed of many small, remote islands, and is highly impacted by global warming. Nurses are on the frontline of the increasingly deadly cyclones that impact their communities’ health.
The pandemic was also used to push through controversial privatisations (supported by the Australian Government’s aid program), which undermined the workforce and the public health system.