Project Report – Fiji 2010 - Pacific Health Voices

Table 4: Selected Health Facility Sites by Division – VAW Study, 2010)
Health Facility Divisions Total
Northern Western Central and Eastern Facility No.
National &
Labasa Lautoka Hospital Colonial War Memorial 4
Divisional
Hospital
Hospital, St. Giles Hospital
hospitals
Sub-divisional Savusavu; Nadi Hosp; Ba Mission; Levuka Hospital; 6
hospitals
Taveuni Tavua Hospital,
Health centres Seaqaqa HC Korolevu HC, Nausori HC,
4
(HC)
Valelevu HC
Nursing stations Dogotuki NS Naqalimare NS - 2
(NS)
Total 5 6 5 16
Source: Fieldwork, Aug-Sept, 2010
The type of data collected for this part of the study involved tallying the total number of
individual cases presented at each of the facilities. For each of the sites, tallies were recorded
for each patient’s age, ethnicity, marital status, urban or rural residence, occupation,
complaints presented at the health facility, the types of abuse and injury presented, the
outcome for the patient, whether the case was reported to the police or not and, the
identification of the perpetrator of the injury. These variables were chosen because they were
the common information required of each patient at the facilities.
The information was collected from various handwritten physical records kept at each of the
facilities and were manually counted for this study. It is important to note at the outset that the
quality and accuracy of the data gathered for this study largely depended on the recording
methods adopted by the health facilities. While there were instances where all of the variables
were recorded for each case, there were many more where the information about each patient
(including the types of injuries and abuses suffered) was sketchy and brief therefore not
providing much needed information.
Furthermore, there was also the issue and possibility of repeat cases presented at the health
facilities. Where FWCC has meticulously noted the number of repeat cases presented to their
organization over the years (Table 2), there is no such indication appearing in the health facility
records to facilitate accuracy in record keeping and importantly, to effect sound treatment and
care for a VAW patient. Therefore there is likelihood that there had been double, triple or more
counting for a single patient in this study because the study did not record the names of VAW
patients.
The importance of accurate record and data keeping must not be underestimated. There is a
need to maintain timely and accurate records at the health facilities to effect wholesome
treatment and to assist in behavior change interventions for health care workers, violence and
gender-based NGOs, government and the general public.
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