International Expertise Bringing New Capability to Nauru Health System

Nauru is transforming its health system with the help of a UAE company which has taken over the management and delivery of the country’s health services.

The Nauru government recently announced a partnership with Global Mission Support Services (GMSS) which will see a wider range of health services delivered on the island nation and no extra cost to the government.

The government concluded that engaging an experienced and capable private sector partner was a necessary step to ensure its people continue to receive quality and timely medical care, both locally and abroad.

The new medical team has already made major progress including reactivating the eye clinic and performing high-impact surgeries that previously could not be performed domestically.

In addition to this, the team has also responded to a dengue fever outbreak following consultation with the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state-run Republic of Nauru Hospital (RONH) remains the nation’s primary health care provider, delivering free and universal medical and dental treatment.

Located in Yaren, RONH provides basic medical care, with special treatment limited to diabetes and other obesity-related diseases at the Naoero Public Health Centre.

In Nauru, anyone with serious illnesses and injuries which cannot be treated on the island are flown to an overseas destination to receive treatment under the nation’s government-funded overseas medical referral (OMR) system.

The new partnership with upgraded services and the ability to perform higher level operations is already reducing the financial burden on the OMR.

GMSS is now working with local clinicians and health care workers within this framework to enhance services for all residents.

Already, the company’s engineering team has fixed the flooding at the hospital’s entrance which has been an issue for decades.

The GMSS medical team on Nauru includes leading experts from across the world across a number of disciplines.

They include a US chief medical officer, a Ukrainian brigadier general who was a special forces physician, an Israeli ophthalmic surgeon, an Australian professor of public policy, a former British Royal Air Force doctor, and a US Navy admiral.

With a high prevalence of cardio-vascular disease, respiratory disease and, particularly diabetes, Nauru has also historically relied on international support to help address these non-communicable diseases.

The Australian Government has made significant investments in Nauru health care through its Nauru Health Support Program, while other international partners have also assisted the nation.