SUVA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Fijian government received medical equipments from China on Wednesday, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, to help health experts to detect and cure cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancer.

Huang Xuehu, charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Fiji, said the equipment will greatly assist the Fijian government with providing primary health care to combat non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Fiji.

"The primary focus for the ministry is to focus on new directions to accelerate wellness through antenatal care and school health services," Fiji's Minister for Health and Medical Services Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete said.

He said a wellness passbook is now undergoing a consultation process and this will be available to all Fijians from conception to 70 years old, adding that key wellness indicators include nutritional status, dental status and immunization status.

He said the 36,000 Fijian dollars (17,000 U.S. dollars) equipment will help them ensure the early detection of the NCD.

The equipment includes blood pressure monitors, stethoscopes, weigh scales and blood glucose monitors.

Waqainabete encouraged all Fijians to undergo cardiovascular risk screening each year through this Packaging of Essential Non-Communicable diseases model.