How Many More Warnings Do We Need?

7 Aug, 2026

The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) is deeply troubled by what recent events reveal about the state of Fiji’s healthcare system and the burden being carried by frontline healthcare workers.

In the same week that healthcare workers were publicly accused of abusing overtime claims, six healthcare workers were rescued after spending more than 36 hours stranded at sea while trying to deliver essential health services to people living in remote communities. This contradiction is glaring.

FWCC Coordinator Shamima Ali said Fijians and healthcare workers are tired of having the same conversation about Fiji’s health system over and over again.

“A problem emerges. There are headlines. People become angry. Politicians make statements. Social media talks about it for a few days. Then we move on until the next crisis arrives. We have seen this happen with staffing shortages, healthcare workers leaving the country, and ongoing concerns about hospitals, resources, and working conditions. Now we are seeing it again.”

Healthcare workers have been sounding the alarm for years.

“They have been telling us they are exhausted, understaffed, overworked, and struggling with limited resources. They have been telling us that the pressure is becoming unbearable. Yet we are not responding with the urgency this situation demands. How many more warnings do we need?”

Our healthcare workers deserve safe working conditions, adequate staffing, and proper resources. They also deserve leaders who are prepared to confront these problems honestly and urgently.

If six healthcare workers stranded at sea while serving their communities is not enough to force serious action, what will be?

When healthcare workers are stretched beyond breaking point, it is not only they who suffer. Patient care suffers. Patient outcomes suffer. And ultimately, it is the people of Fiji who pay the price.

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