A LEADING Australian medical scientist has described Fiji’s laboratory professionals as highly skilled and resourceful even as they grapple with under-resourcing and an exodus of trained staff to wealthier nations.
Dr Donna Rudd, chair of the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists’ Tropical Commission and an academic at James Cook University, is attending the three-day Fiji Institute of Medical Laboratory Science conference at FNU Nasinu.
She described the gathering as a vital opportunity for Pacific nations to share solutions to common challenges.
“Medical and laboratory science is quite a small profession, so we need to support each other,” Rudd said.
“When we get together we find that our interests and our problems are very much shared.”
Rudd, who also serves as editor of the Australian Journal of Medical Science, said Fijian laboratory scientists are “very clever” and “very resourceful” despite working in environments with fewer resources than their Australian counterparts. Laboratories are often overlooked by policymakers who prioritise spending on doctors and nurses.
“They’ll spend money getting a fancy doctor, but they won’t spend money in the laboratory,” she said.
“But the fancy doctor can’t make their diagnosis without the skills of the laboratory staff.”
She described laboratories as the linchpin of healthcare systems, essential not only for diagnostics but also for prognostics and ongoing patient monitoring.
Her comments come as Fiji’s medical laboratory sector faces significant staff shortages, with many experienced scientists migrating abroad. Rudd acknowledged that Australia bore some responsibility for the brain drain.
“I feel a little bit responsible for them,” she said, referring to recruitment of Fijian-trained scientists.
She noted that degrees from Fiji National University are accredited by the Australian Institute of Science, making graduates highly employable overseas.
This year’s conference, themed “Partnerships in the Pacific,” is the first time the Fijian institute and the Australian Institute’s Tropical Division have worked together. Rudd said the partnership was sparked by a small haematology workshop last year and has now grown into a major regional event involving New Zealand colleagues.
She brought several Australian students to Fiji under the New Colombo Plan, a scholarship program funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The students benefit enormously from observing how Fijian laboratories operate with creativity and ingenuity, Rudd said.
“When they go into the workplace, it’s very different,” she said.
“There’s a shared understanding and knowledge there, which is really useful for both our students to see — and to see the value of their profession within other countries.”
During the Seminar, Rudd will present research on novel markers for detecting kidney damage in pregnant women and neonates, drawing on a major study conducted at Townsville University Hospital.
Pacific laboratory networks must be strengthened to cope with emerging health challenges, and that conferences like this one are essential for building long-term educational and professional relationships, Rudd said
“Our relationships and ongoing friendships and educational relationships go on for a long time,” she said. “Lifelong learning opportunities — that’s what we want to create.”
The conference continues over the weekend, with presentations from experts across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific.
