The Ministry of Health is recruiting additional medical and health professionals to fill the critical shortage at the RON Hospital
Nauru Media News – NTV reports many applications have been received however, the ministry is looking to Fiji since its border is open while others in the region are closed due to the pandemic.
The numbers required have been interviewed and selected and are expected to arrive soon.
They will assume active duties after completing quarantine and other measures.
Director for Medical Services, Dr. Lincoln Menda said RON Hospital will be pleased if all the applicants they have selected make it on the flight to Nauru.
He said they will then have sufficient human resources because at the moment all the sections at the hospital are manned by one nurse.
Dr. Menda hopes to have 2 nurses per shift.
He has appealed to the public for their kind understanding and patience at this time as the hospital is short of nurses.
Another dilemma currently facing RON Hospital is the shortage of beds for patients.
Dr. Menda said that the hospital wards in the new wing are full and there are no beds.
He added that many patients in the Emergency Unit cannot be admitted because of the shortage.
There is a need for additional beds in the new wing, emergency unit and intensive care unit (ICU) said Dr. Menda.
New beds have been ordered and the management team is working on this. Furthermore the management team is scouting for beds located within the hospital where they should not be.
If these beds can be made available, then patients in the Emergency Unit can be admitted for proper medical health care.
RON Hospital has plans to bring specialist teams but lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic has prevented this from happening.
The Ministry of Health is collaborating with the Australian High Commission and DFAT to bring in health specialists from the Royal Australian College of Surgeons (RACS) to perform required surgical procedures and also provide training for local doctors.
“The Royal Australian College of Surgeons is the leading advocate for surgical standards, professionalism and surgical education in Australia and New Zealand.”
The specialists requested are in the areas of; dialysis, renal, cardiac and spinal. The specialists will perform surgery and train local staff in the required areas to equip and strengthen them in order to sustain the health care system for the people of Nauru.
The specialists are expected to arrive in March, 2022.
Photo supplied Nauru Media New NTV Caption: RON Hospital