In just a few weeks’ time, thousands of people within the catchment area of what used to be Afio clinic will access an improved and expanded range of health services that the new Afio Area Health Centre will offer.
This followed a recent visit by the National Ministry of Health inspection team to Afio who confirmed that the health centre is now ready for official handover and opening.
Afio Area Health Centre is a construction project that the Ministry undertook under its Role Delineation Policy (RDP) that aims to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), whereby appropriate health services are provided closer to where people live so that they can easily access the services without financial hardship.
Similar undertakings were also carried out in Guadalcanal province which saw the recent opening of Aola and Avuavu area health centers that are now operational and serving thousands of people within their catchment communities.
The Afio Area Health Centre will have one full-time residential medical officer in addition to the nursing staff to enable longer-term admission of patients with acute conditions requiring observation, treatment, or awaiting transfers to Kilufi Hospital or the National Referral Hospital, minor or low-risk procedures under local or regional anesthetic, accident and emergency services including short term stabilization and management and where necessary transfer to specialist care for trauma and major injuries; acute medical emergency and psychiatric emergency cases.
The Ministry of Health is pleased with the progress that’s been made to date and thanked the contractor Advance Quality for the work done so far, Malaita Provincial Government and the Malaita Provincial Health Team for the support in ensuring that the Afio area health center project is a success.
The actual date for the official handing over and opening will be announced soon.
