Public Service Commission General Orders>Medical

MEDICAL

1000. (a) Subject to specific conditions herein stated and as prescribed by the Permanent Secretary for Health from time to time and provided that the need for medical attention does not arise from an Officer's indiscretion or negligence, all Officers are entitled to free medical attention.

(b) The following Officers are entitled to free dental attention and minor Procedures as prescribed by the Permanent Secretary for Health provided that the need for such attention does not arise from an Officer's own indiscretion or negligence. Free dental treatment shall not include dentures or orthodontics :-
(i) Serving Officers and other Ranks of the Fiji Military Forces.
(ii) Other Ranks of the Fiji Police Force.
(iii) Prison Officers Classes A, B and C.

1001. The families of dependents of Officers are not entitled to free medical or dental attention except where specifically stipulated in the terms of Officers' contracts.

1002. In the case of Officers who receive attention from private medical practitioners at their own expense, the provision of General Order 1004 must be complied with.

1003. The regular consulting hours for Officers at any hospital shall be as determined by the Medical Officer in charge of such hospital and may normally be between 8am to 9am Mondays to Fridays. In cases of emergencies, free medical attention will be available at any time in the outpatients or casualty units.

Absence from Duty-Medical Certificates

1004. (a) Where an Officer falls sick and is required to be on sick leave for any period exceeding twenty-four hours, the Medical Officer or private Medical Practitioner is to complete the Medical Certificate on the prescribed form as soon as the patient is initially examined.

(b) The medical certificate will be handed to the patient who is responsible for despatching it immediately to the Head of the Section in which he is employed.
(e) After noting, the Section Head should forward the medical certificate to the Head of Department who will be responsible for its insertion in the Officer' s personal file, and recording in the leave schedule which will provide a continuous medical history on the Officer.
(d) The Permanent Secretary for Health shall be responsible for reporting at once to the Secretary for the Public Service any case in which an Officer, whose nearest relatives reside outside Fiji, falls dangerously ill in order that the relatives may be informed. A further report must be sent whenever the condition of the Officer changes and if three or four days elapse without any alteration in his condition, a report to that effect must be sent.
(e) When the Permanent Secretary or Head of Department is sick and absent from duty for more than 24 hours, it shall be the responsibility of the next Senior Officer in the Department to inform the Secretary for the Public Service and continue to do so at weekly intervals. The Permanent Secretary or Head of Department should inform the Secretary for the Public Service of his return to duty after any absence through sickness.

Medical Treatment and Hospital Fees

1005. (a) The following fees will be charged to Officers who are not otherwise entitled free accommodation, maintenance and treatment, when admitted to a paying ward in a Government hospital :-
(i) Officers drawing salary of $8206 per annum or less ........ 60c a day.
(ii) Officers drawing salary of more than $8206 per annum .......... 90c a day.

Provided that in all cases where an Officer occupies a private ward a standard charge of $1.70 a day shall be made.
(b) An Officer admitted to a public ward of a Government hospital will be entitled to free accommodation, maintenance and treatment.
(c) In calculating the number of days in respect of which fees will be charged the day of admittance will be included, but not the day of discharge.
(d) Surgical operations, including necessary anesthetics, will be performed by a Medical Officer free of charge, provided that they do not arise from the Officer's own indiscretion or negligence;
(e) Drugs will normally be supplied free of charge to Officers who receive treatment at hospitals or medical centers. If prescribed drugs are not available at a Government hospital or medical center and are purchased by an Officer, he will be reimbursed by the Permanent Secretary for health the actual cost of the drugs, provided such drugs appear on the standard list of drugs supplies to medical centers or are on the Assisted Drugs list as prescribed in by the Permanent Secretary for health and providing further that the prescription is endorsed by the Government Medical Office or Pharmacist before reimbursement.
(f) X-ray fees will be paid by an Officer except in those cases where this investigation is necessitated by an accident which directly occurred in the course of the Officer's employment or where the investigation, requested by a private practitioners, is of relatively simple nature requiring a single exposure as classified by the Permanent Secretary for Health or where the investigation is ordered by a Government Medical Officer.
(g) Surgical appliances and medical comforts will be supplied to Officers on payment of normal fees including any refundable deposit required on such items.
(h) Ambulance fees shall be paid in full by Officers except the need for such services arises under the Workmen's Compensation Act for Government purposes.

Overseas Treatment

1006. Medical attention for Officers who require specialist consultation or special treatment not available in Fiji may be arranged overseas through the Permanent Secretary for Health and with the approval of the Secretary for the Public Service.

Medical Board

1007. The Secretary for the Public Service may at any time call upon any Officer to present himself for examination to a duly constituted Medical Board appointed by the Permanent Secretary with a view of ascertaining whether the Officer is capable of performing the duties of his post or of any post to which it may be proposed to transfer him.

1008. The report of the medical Board shall be forwarded under confidential cover by the permanent Secretary for Health to the Secretary for the Public Service.

1009. An Officer who has been found by a Medical Board constituted under General order 107 to be medically unit for further service, may be called upon to retire.

Medical Board
(Revised Procedures) PSC Circular No 18/99 of 06/06/99

When the Permanent Secretary or head of Department considers it neces1sary that a medical board be convened i.e.; either under GO 710 c (ii) or GO 1007, or both, he/she shall immediately attend to the following;

I. Request the Permanent Secretary for Health (PSH) to convene a Medical Board on the officer.
II. Attach to that request, the medical report(s) medical certificates and sick leave details of the officer concerned and state how the sickness is adversely affecting the officer's attendance and/or performance;
III. Advise the officer concerned that he/she is to be medically boarded and the reasons for the board i.e.; either under GO710c or GO 1007;
IV. Require the officer to complete the appropriate medical Board from (Form M.B.1) and to submit the form fully completed the Permanent Secretary for Health;
V. Advise the officer that the Medical Board will consider any written representations that he/she may wish to make, or made on his/her behalf in addition to any medical reports placed before it;
VI. Ensure that the details referred to n paragraph 2.1 (ii) above are included with the Medical Board requisition form, required at paragraph 2.1.1. (iv) completed and sent to the PSH within two(2) weeks of the request to convene the medical Board;
VII. The PSH shall, upon receipt of the Medical Board form, appoint the Medical Board to examine the officer. Such appointment shall be made within ten (10) days of the receipt of the Medical Board; The Medical Board should comprise not less than three members qualifies and competent to deal with the type of illness involved;
VIII. The Medical Board should comprise not less then three members qualified and competent to deal with the type of illness involved;
IX. The Medical Board shall consider any written representations made t it by the officer, or on the officer's behalf, in its assessment . The use of legal counsel to represent an officer and to make representation on the officer's behalf is not allowed.
X. The Medical Board shall submit its report including its recommendation under confidential cover to the Permanent Secretary/Head of Department concerned within two(2) months from the date it was appointed;
XI. Where in the opinion of the Medical Board, part of the whole of its finding and recommendation may effect an officer's future employment, it should make known its view/recommendation verbally to the officer. In such cases, the report of the medical board should indicate the date(s) the officer was interviewed;
XII. The Permanent Secretary/head of Department shall advise the officer in writing without delay if the report of the report of the medical Boar contains a recommendation that the officer be retired on medical grounds. The Officer shall, if he/she so wishes, make representation to the Permanent Secretary/Head of Department within fourteen (14) days on receipt of such advice;
XIII. The Permanent Secretary/Head of Department makes decision within one month from the date the officer was advised taking into account the Medical Board report and any submissions made by the officer; and
XIV. The Officer is informed immediately in writing of the decision taken.

** This procedure is to be read alongside General orders 710 © and (d), 1007 to 1009 and Regulations 32(1) to 42(4) of the Public Service Commission (Constitution) Regulations 1990.

Dangerous Illness

1010. The Permanent Secretary for Health shall inform the Permanent Secretary or Head of Department with a copy to the Secretary for the Public Service when an Officer is placed on the dangerously ill list.

Death of an OfficerM

1011. In the event of an Officer's death, the following action will be taken :
(a) In the case of an Officer whose registered next-of-kin is likely to be outside Fiji,
the Medical Officer last in attendance on the deceased or the Medical Superintendent of the hospital in which the Officer died, will inform the Head of Department by the quickest means, i.e. telephone or most urgent telegram. The Permanent Secretary for Health will inform the Secretary for the Public Service. In the case of death at work, the Head of Department shall inform the next-of-kin of the Officer's death.
(b) In the case of an Officer whose next-of-kin is in Fiji, the Medical Officer or Medical Superintendent of the hospital should notify the most Senior Officer of the deceased's Department in the area. This latter Officer will notify the Head of his Department, who will arrange for the next-of-kin to be informed.
(c) The Permanent Secretary for Health will supply as much information as possible to the Permanent Secretary or Head of Department and the Secretary for the Public Service.
(d) The Permanent Secretary or Head of the deceased Officer' s Department should either himself write a letter of sympathy to the next-of-kin or arrange for an appropriate Officer in his Department to do so.
(e) The Permanent Secretary for Finance, Commissioner of Inland Revenue and the
Registrar-General should be informed by the Head of D