FIJI MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
FIJI MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
February 2021 Member Update
Dear
Members
Bula Vinaka, Namaste, Assalamo-alaikum and Noa’ia e mau’ri.
Mutant strains, vaccine games and cyclone pains! Hello 2021, or are
you 2020 on steroids! All would be forgiven for feeling like we are treading
water in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean at night in a storm. Just when we
surface for a much needed gasp of air, BAM! We are hit in the face with another
huge wave taking us down, making us paddle even harder to reach the surface for
another whiff of that beautiful oxygen. Surely the easy thing to do would be to
stop paddling, stop fighting the seemingly inevitable and just let go. Yes
there will be a short period of intense asphyxia and panic but beyond that the
struggles would be over; right? But that is not who we are. We are Fijians. We
are one of the most resilient people ever. Whatever life throws at us, we
smile, turn it into a meme and throw it back at life and yell “is that all
you’ve got”? We have been blessed with an eternally positive frame of mind and
adaptability is our middle name. We will keep on fighting!
I would like to thank the Rakiraki and Sigatoka FEMAT teams for
holding the fort at the height of tropical cyclone Ana. There is a lot
sacrifice that you are all making to ensure critical clinical services are
available to our people. Also, the Public Health teams will be mobilized and on
the march after Ana and Bina have done what they were ordained to do. It is good
to see that we are taking the proactive approach in trying to reduce the burden
of infectious diseases such as leptospirosis, Typhoid and Dengue fever. This
will again require a lot of walking through challenging terrain out of your comfort
zone but it will all be worth it because it translates into lives saved.
Similar to our people, our Health force is a resilient one and whatever curve
balls are thrown at us, we have our game faces ready.
There has been a lot of discussion regarding the COVID-19 vaccine
and it is encouraging to see that Fiji will not be a bystander but rather
actively pursue in sourcing the vaccine and administering it to our people. As
with anything new, we must first and foremost understand the benefits,
potential risks, and do the scales test to determine whether a particular
intervention would make sense. If and when it does, we must also be
collaborative with our people so that they too understand the benefits and risks
which will then make acceptance on their behalf much easier. Our Health
machinery is well adapted to mass vaccinations as evidenced by our high rates
of immunization and we had the measles mass vaccination campaign not too long
ago. Our experience will be invaluable in rolling out the COVID-19 vaccination
when we are ready and I am have utmost faith in Ministry of Health in
determining the order of priority in which the vaccines will be administered.
It is interesting to note whilst discussing vaccines, the mutant strains of
Coronavirus that have been reported. What impact these strains will have in
terms of transmissibility, morbidity, mortality and effectiveness of vaccines
remains to be seen. Just when we think we have a handle on things, COVID-19
shifts the goalposts ever so slightly!
Please listen to the weather updates and ensure safety for you
families and yourselves with Tropical Cyclone Bina approaching. We beseech the
Almighty for mercy and protection of the most vulnerable amongst us.
Vinaka vakalevu, Khuda Hafiz, Daniyabaad and Fa’eksia.
Dr Basharat Munshi
President
Fiji Medical Association