Tahiti, May 10, 2024 – The health hospital in Bora Bora is in bad shape. Faced with a shortage of staff considering the island’s significant population, the medical center has earned the grim reputation of being the “worst dispensary in French Polynesia”.
Now, it struggles to recruit caregivers, and within two weeks, it will no longer have any permanent doctors. The Ministry of Health held several emergency meetings last week to ensure healthcare services for the island’s residents.
Bora Bora’s. Despite being located on an attractive island that typically doesn’t struggle to attract workers, the dispensary in the Pearl of the Pacific is gradually losing its healthcare professionals.
According to our information, only three general practitioners and four nurses work around the clock to care for a population of nearly 13,000 people, residents and tourists combined.
This already precarious situation is expected to worsen further with the departure of two doctors next week, who recently resigned shortly after arriving, while the third practitioner’s contract ends on May 21 and she does not intend to renew it.
This ongoing situation has earned the establishment the unflattering label of the “worst dispensary in French Polynesia”. As a result, there is little enthusiasm for applying to work there. “Bora Bora is known for having the worst reputation,” testified a former doctor who worked there and wished to remain anonymous. “It’s catastrophic, something needs to be done,” echoed a former nurse.
Housing shortages Another factor contributing to the tight staffing at this center is the difficulty healthcare professionals face in finding housing on the island. “Even a small bungalow rents for 200,000 francs per month,” revealed a nurse who had worked on the island. This housing challenge is something the Ministry of Health is attempting to address by recently offering accommodations to healthcare professionals.
