The government has been in full-blown damage control over reports of a sewage spill at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital that the Fiji Sun said had shut down operating theatres and cost lives.
The response of the Ministry of Health has studiously avoided the issue of casualties as the result of the spill, which suggests that this part of the story is definitely true. But it has set out to muddy the waters by denying that the spill was of raw sewage but was instead “sluice wastewater”.
So let’s just break down precisely what this means.
1/ “SLUICE“:
Sluice rooms are in every hospital and are there to prevent infection from human waste.
2/ WASTEWATER:
As the name suggests, water that contains waste, including human waste. Raw sewage (excrement) is officially classified as a subset of wastewater because it isn’t confined just to sh*t, to put it colloquially.
So what was the “sluice wastewater” at CWM that the Ministry of Health acknowledges entered its operating theatres? A whole lot of “nasties”, including “sh*t”, which leaked from its facility that is meant to keep these things out of any hospital, and especially operating theatres where patients are being opened up in supposedly sterile conditions.
FACT: Raw sewage – faeces, urine, vomit etc – was undoubtedly part of the “wastewater” that leaked from the Sluice Room at CWM because of a blocked drain into some of the hospitals operating theatres.
FACT: Telling the Fijian people that it “wasn’t raw sewage” but “sluice wastewater” is a crude exercise in spin to try to quell the public outcry over what happened.
FACT: The gormless Fijian media has fallen for that spin. Why? Simply because no local journalist has done the research on what “sluice wastewater” is. Again colloquially, It contains sh*t, piss and vomit. That’s to be expected in any hospital. But at CWM, the Sluice Room that is meant to isolate this harmful matter failed. And it made its way into the hospital’s operating theatres.
It is a FAILURE of monumental proportions. And not just on the part of the CWM and the Ministry of Health. But a FAILURE of monumental proportions by the Health Minister, Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu, who has willfully set out to downplay what happened and the threat it posed to CWM patients. And it is a FAILURE of monumental proportions by the rest of the mainstream Fijian media, which has bought the Coalition’s bullsh*t about what happened and has allowed itself to be part of this disgraceful cover-up.
This includes William Parkinson‘s CFL-Fiji Village, which might have been expected to investigate the Fiji Sun‘s original story rather than simply carry the Ministry of Health’s spin. But then, of course, “PooPoo” Parkinson – the owner of CFL – has 1.7 million reasons not to delve too deeply into the toilet bowl that is the government’s PR effort – the $1.7 million in public funding he has received from the Coalition when he already operates the most profitable broadcast media outlet in Fiji.
Here’s CFL’s disgraceful story on what supposedly happened.
Not journalism, but outright spin – CFL spinning the government’s narrative taken straight from the Ministry of Health’s news release.
So this, Fiji, is the sorry state of the mainstream media as it continually crows that it is “finally free” yet has literally – in the case of “Poopoo” Parkinson’s CFL – been bought off with your money at a time when he has never made more of his own.
It is also the sorry state of the Coalition government that literally dishes out sh*t in the nation’s hospitals and then dishes out the same through the mainstream media outlets it uses your money to control.
And Antonio – Prince of Somosomo – adds insult to injury by bleating about the unfairness of it all, of proper journalists giving him and the government a hard time.
Listen up, Doc. It’s nothing like the hard time that is coming when the Fijian people finally pronounce judgment on this sh*tshow.
When even the whinge is government spin .
As we have come to realise, the media in Fiji are slow, dimwitted and supine. We see this over and over again. They are receiving millions in taxpayer funds but they still cannot do their jobs properly.
Besides poo poo’s CFL, Stanley Simpson’s MaiTV received a substantial grant. From my calculations it’s proportionately more than what the other broadcasters received, even though MaiTV does not produce daily news. For instance MaiTV’s allocation was more than what the bigger and older Fiji One received, apparently because of Stanley Simpson ’s closeness to Manoa Kamikamica and Biman Prasad. This is how this government has bribed and corrupted the media sector using our taxpayer dollars.
Thank God both Biman and Manoa are out. But we also need an investigation into the bribes given to the media.
The claim that the media is now free is a farce. It is more accurate to say that the media is now bought. An always weak and dumb media good at copy-pasting press releases is now a corrupt media as well.
Best way to deflect your own pressing issue is to discuss something else – that’s what Imrana, Biman, Manoa, Pramesh, Stanley and others are doing in their forums about this PoPo issue now – it’s FijiFirst neglect is the common message – I assume Aiyaz and Frank deliberately blocked the drain last week.
PoPo Parkinson on the other hand is walking the 1.7m govt line and reporting as instructed, same as Fiji times and others. Shame on everybody to use this serious issue to promote political motives, blame others and further move away from your own PoPo issues.
Thanks GD for highlighting this issue in detail and catching these burgers with the pants down. Meanwhile, HPM is off to Japan while Fili deals with this mess as acting PM.
Thank you Grubsheet for laying out clearly and precisely what ‘sluice room’ and ‘waste water’ are. Shailend Singh please note your journalists should understand the importance of understanding the subject matter and doing some basic research to establish the facts.
In many ways the contaminants in waste water are far more dangerous as one cannot see these like raw sewage. And for the Health Ministry and the Fijian media to shrug this off as a minor event, perhaps hoping that the big sounding words may be too much for the common man.
It is amazing what the Health Minister has been able to get away with. Is the media too weak to ask that heads should roll. The vain effort to justify or gloss over this should also be a reason why the knives should be out for the chiefly Health Minister.
And this is all happening against the backdrop of his father enjoying a taxpayer galavant around the world and ministers spending weekends in metropolitan cities at our expense.
Surely we cannot continue to condone such outrages.
Such outrages will continue and even worsen simply because the Fijian people are in a trance. The electorate is sleep walking towards the cliff ready to jump into the pit of cesspool this gobmint has prepared for 2026.
In any other country the health minister would resign immediately followed by senior hospital administrators and the much our celebrated OHS people.
All would have gone—and all should go here too.
Simply because crap is crap, even if dressed up as sluice or juice -it remains crap sh”t.
Not in Fiji though. Instead of government taking responsibility and apologising to the people, accepting blame for once, our special group of f**ked up idiots in government will be promoted with pay increases.
For we are have truly become a sh”t country. The arrogance and shamelessness is unbelievably shocking.
You could bet your last dollar that if something like this ever happened prior to 2022, both the AG and the PM would have appeared personally at CWM and fired people on the spot.
This is pure negligence and incompetence coupled with ignorance.
Only ignorance, disrespect and an astounding level of narcissism can lead to such a tone deaf response and insensitivity towards patients, their families and relatives. Shameless bastards all!
Millions donated by Australian Taxpayers to fix up CWM Hospital has been diverted elsewhere. 200 grand alone wasted on President Lalabalavu’s overseas holiday and millions on minister’s holidays.
How is he a doctor when he doesn’t understand that sluice is equally disgusting as waste. Irrespective of what is oozing out, he should see that the Ministry he is handling must have the highest standards.
He should stop saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, that people are saying he is too young to handle this Ministry and stop being defensive. This government knew what they were getting into when they came into power. No one forced them into leadership roles. So do the tasks you are given. We don’t care if Rome wasn’t built in a day. Do your job and don’t be a bumbling idiot.
I suggest that all Ministers spend at least 2 days at CWM to experience the reality on the ground. And maybe scrub the sluice room and clean the wards as well.
The PM has flown off to Japan. Wonder if he has claimed allowances. He really is the 8th wonder of our world.
Of course the Prime Minister has claimed his travel allowance. Pocket money on top of the tab being picked up for everything else.
Why do you think he has done nothing about Lynda Tabuya and her double dipping? Because Rabuka is doing precisely the same. The main engine driver on the Gravy Train that passes for a government under this rabble.
Maybe change the name of the hospital to Suva General with politicians, who preferably are not doctors, held to account. Doctors and nursing must be part of the decision-making mix but administration requires a different set of skills.
Keep the foreigners out. Inheriting public hospitals from the colonial power and subsequently relying on aid and benefactors hasn’t worked, especially when it comes to maintenance. It’s the same problem as when you gift a car to an 18 year old. This not yet fully adult won’t look after it because it wasn’t paid for with their own hard-earned cash.
Probably the best thing to do now is to demolish all of the old public hospitals and start again, only using legitimate Govt (taxpayers and VAT) money.
Time to grow up and take ownership and responsibility.
Surely something has to give.
How long can this ineptitude be allowed to prevail?
What is with all the overseas trips anyway?
I suppose Fiji deserves the government they elected and have to grin and bear it.
This mob can’t clean up their own shit.
Too much to expect them to clean up other people’s shit.
Meanwhile, Pramesh ‘Pussy Grabber’ Sharma is beside himself with joy that the thrice disbarred lawyer Filimone Vosarogo is acting prime minister while Shitiveni Rabuka is on another junket. Toady Pramesh has no equal when it comes to arse licking and brown nosing. He is the king.
Not only does this boot licker grab pussies, but he is also an outstanding masi polo or ball polisher.
If we had an independent and non-corrupt media, this government would have collapsed or at least been on the brink of collapse and the public could have woken up.
Another example of a failing health service under this Government.
They continue to blame the previous government but after nearly 3 years in office that no longer holds truth.
The reality is that this Government at the last budget allocated the lowest amount of money to capital works (like health infrastructure) in over a decade!
As others have pointed out the media are woeful and have failed to hold this government to account. They report minor activities and stay away from government when it bungles.
And the Goverment trying to justify the opening of an opulent embassy in Israel and the overseas travel antics of the PM and Ministers when basic services are either not provided or have broken down.
Based on this recent issue, it is no surprise why ASK, Bainimarama and other people choose to go abroad to get medical treatment.
I certainly wouldnt want to be lying in an operating theatre or a bed in CWM with sh*t falling over my face.
I’m surprised the useless health minister and equally useless PM haven’t come out claiming this is a new type of natural therapy being trialled by the hospital. The media would have slurped and swallowed the statement without any questions.
It is apparent the government does not have the resources and expertise to manage the medical facilities in Fiji. Why not simply outsource the whole thing to medical services provider and instead of dumping money into the hospitals, pass that across to the MSP who will be contractually bound to meet health standards and SLAs?
The truth is that the international community give millions to Fiji to help with medical related projects and upgrades but the funding is never accounted for and goes into the pockets of a lot of people who have leeched off the funding for their personal benefits.
The Minister says “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
Fair, but at this rate, Fiji’s progress is being bulldozed overnight. And again…as expected – excuses, excuses and excuses! We expected progress…incrementally – we have taken huge strides backwards.
Sewage in hospitals, silence in offices, spin in press releases.
God bless Fiji!
If the colonisers had not built and imposed their colonial and western system of hospital and medicare then we would not be faced with this problem. The colonisers – not the health ministry – have so much to answer for. Blame them for this ( and everything else ) and for all the wrongs of the last 14-16 years blame FijiFirst.
Why are people complaining? This Government has been doing a marvelous job isn’t it? I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Lol.
Kudos to those imbeciles who rallied behind this Government, lobbied for them and against FFP, and voted these guys in.
I’m sure you all are very proud of your deeds. You have a direct hand in what this Govt has done to Fiji and Fijians. Whilst some of you may repent…I don’t think that is enough to absolve you all of your initial support for these buffoons currently in power. It is through your actions that these Clowns are running this country to the ground.
The CWM spill isn’t a governance crisis; it’s a linguistic one. When the official defence is distinguishing between ‘raw sewage’ and its sophisticated cousin, ‘medically-grade poop-adjacent sluice water, you know we’ve achieved Peak Fiji Political Spin.
And for the Minister throwing around the ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ excuse? Rome didn’t have taxpayer-funded PR teams printing propaganda press releases on subsidised paper.
Stop trying to build an empire of excuses and start building a hospital that doesn’t look like a haunted house. We need accountability now before the mould on the hospital ceiling starts filing a complaint too.
#FijiPolitics #PooGate #AccountabilityNow
In other news, vorasogo’s ministry has yet more cake.
Reading social media it appears that the rancid coconuts are happy with the state of the coconut republic.