Healthcare in our communities
Remote Healthcare improvements
The Rotary Club of Savusavu, beginning in late 2021, has succeeded in the repair and upgrade of three remote healthcare facilities in our province of Cakaudrove.
Bagasau, Naweni and Navakaka Health Centres can now better service the basic healthcare needs of approximately 6000 people across these areas. Each health centre treats 15 - 45 patients per day, including child births, with the support of Community Health Workers (CHWs). CHWs are untrained local volunteers who are the first point of contact in every injury, illness or emergency.
Remote health centres are also tasked with non-emergency services such as vaccine deployment; maternity care; critical ongoing support such as dressing sores of invalid/elderly diabetes patients; and administering injections for up to 50 children, three times per week, who suffer from rheumatic heart disease. These health services rely heavily on the CHWs, who walk 3 - 5 hours a day, two or three times per week, on tracks or unpaved roads, to provide essential healthcare for their patients.
Another outcome of this project, of which our club is very proud, is that an additional 28 CHWs have successfully passed the training and received the Internationally recognized 3-year Basic First Aid/CPR Certification by the Red Cross Society of Fiji. This upskilling of CHWs will improve the healthcare services and health outcomes for people living in remote rural areas.
These remote healthcare improvements were accomplished with support of our generous sponsors including FOFH (Friends of Fiji Health, NZ), the Carner Family, Mr. & Mrs. Minal Gulabdas, Christine & Greg Van Horn, and many others.
The Rotary Club of Savusavu has an ongoing commitment in 2025 and beyond to improving healthcare services in our town and province.
New Updates!
2024-25 has seen us grow our relationship withe the Senior District Medical Officer and her staff. The closer working relationship has allowed us to better focus our efforts and spending on the most important areas to the medical team here.
Included in that, 2024 saw a major effort to bring wheelchairs to Cakaudrove where every village has someone who has had an amputation due to diabetes. Over 60 wheelchairs for adults and specialized ones for children were delivered to the community.
We also in 2024 decorated and furnished a special room off of the children's ward. This room has colourful murals, books, toys and an area where families can come and eat together as they stay with the sick child.
