Work is underway on the construction of doctors’ residences at three district hospital sites in Savai'i as part of strengthening Samoa's health system through the improvement of rural infrastructure. 

The Ministry of Health (M.O.H.) is seeking a supervision engineer in the construction of building extensions and doctors’ residences at Sataua, Safotu and Satupaitea Rural district hospitals. 

Currently, the doctor allocated for the Safotu district hospital has a residence next to the medical facility. As for the doctor assigned to Satupaitea, the M.O.H. is renting a house for their use, while at Sataua district hospital the doctor is renting at a nearby hotel. 

The construction work on the doctors' residence as well as the building extensions is timely, to ensure the medical practitioners have proper accommodation while on duty in rural hospitals. 

The M.O.H. has put out a re-tender for the supervision engineer on the project which closes on 16 January 2023.    

The terms of reference for the project states the Samoa Government received a grant from the World Bank to support its noncommunicable diseases control program through the performance for results financial instrument. 

The strong focus of such a project is to re-establish health multi-disciplinary teams, health prevention, community empowerment, primary health care and Village Women’s Committees (Komiti Tumama) as the cornerstone of community engagement on health promotion, hygiene inspection and public health.

Furthermore the project will contribute to the overall objective of the merger reforms to strengthen peripheral health services, including district hospitals, community health services and outreach services.  

According to the M.O.H. website there are currently 120 doctors servicing 11 hospitals who are being assisted by 352 registered nurses who are part of the Ministry's total 1,455 workforce.