SUVA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The "Veivueti," Fiji's first floating hospital, is expected to start its first island outreach by the end of this month.
The 46-meter-long medical ship, commissioned by Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama here on Friday, is first of its kind in the South Pacific island nation.
And it is specifically designed to provide both primary and secondary medical services and rapid response to emergencies.
The ship, which cost about 8 million Fijian dollars (about 3.9 million U.S. dollars), is equipped with state-of-the-art tools.
It is expected to treat over 10,000 patients annually in the far reaches of the country, which is an archipelago of more than 330 islands, of which 110 are permanently inhabited.
