Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt has questioned the work of doctors in Samoa, after concerns were raised in parliament about the absence of a doctor at a district hospital.
The issue was raised by Associate Minister for Tourism and Commerce and Member of Parliament for Vaisigano No. 1, Amituanai Tautofi Roma, who told Parliament that one of his parents had been admitted to the hospital in his district but there was no doctor available.
Amituanai claimed the doctor assigned to the district had travelled to Apia for education purposes and had remained there since the Independence Day celebrations.
The Prime Minister responded by questioning the performance of doctors. “What are our doctors doing?” Laaulialemalietoa asked parliament. He said the Ministry of Health was one of the most difficult ministries to manage because of the many issues it faces.
“It seems that nowadays, whenever someone gets sick, they are put on a plane and sent overseas,” he said. Laaulialemalietoa said that if doctors could not perform their duties, “It would be better to open the door for donors to send doctors from overseas."
