Budget cuts to mental health, family health and research services, along with staffing and planning gaps, could undermine healthcare delivery despite an overall increase in health funding, the Fiji Medical Association (FMA) has warned.
The 2026-2027 National Budget has allocated $647 million to the health sector, with $477 million earmarked for the Ministry of Health to cover salaries, medicines, medical supplies and biomedical equipment.
FMA acting president Dr Ronal Kumar said the association welcomed the increased investment in health but was concerned that key areas such as mental health, family health and research had experienced funding reductions, particularly in wages and salaries.
“This is a concern to us as an association,” he said.
Dr Kumar said the allocation for new positions was encouraging but questioned whether frontline support services had been adequately catered for.
