Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

New Solomons doctors may eye Fiji jobs

Posted at 04:50 on 25 January, 2013 UTC

The Solomon Islands foreign minister Clay Forau says medical students studying in Cuba have been given extra confidence in finding work when they return, with the news of possible jobs in Fiji.

Fiji’s interim foreign minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola has told the Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo, that Solomon Islands doctors could be engaged in Fiji to meet its shortfall of doctors.

Mr Forau says his government will wait for a formal request from Fiji but the news has been welcomed with open arms.

“Knowing that there will be jobs for them when they come back. Because even when we started this training programme the question that they had was are we going to have jobs when we come back? So our people have recieved the news, especially our student doctors and their relatives, they now have the confidence that when they come back there will be jobs for them, not only in the Solomon Islands but also in countries like Fiji.”

Clay Forau says the Ministry of Health will first look at and fill the local shortages, but any spare doctors will be offered to Fiji.