Bad weather forces closure of clinic

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

HEAVY rain in the past few days caused significant damages to White River clinic in west Honiara, resulting in its indefinite closure.

“We’ve closed down the clinic since Sunday,” senior nurse Debbie Ariki told the Island Sun outside the clinic yesterday.

She said the Honiara City Council’s health department is assessing the level of damage.

The storage room of the clinic was full of mud

“We don’t know how soon the clinic will reopen,” Ariki said.

“It will depend on the city council’s advice,” she added.

White River clinic serves the highly populated suburbs of west Honiara, as well as those living in northwest Guadalcanal.

Microscopist’s room still soaked with mud

Ariki said the heavy rain flooded the clinic, leaving it in a state that is no longer conducive for patients and nurses.

She said because the clinic is highly contaminated, it needs to be disinfected first before it could reopen.

Ariki said the clinic is always prone to flooding whenever there’s a heavy rain.

Left to Right ,Kaylyn and Debbie with damaged boxes of hand gloves

Another nurse, Kaylyn Tuita, says all health services they used to offer have been affected.

The clinic offers antenatal service, Non-communicable Diseases, Child Welfare, Postnatal, Family planning and every other health services. 

Mud washed up the bay outside the White River clinic

Members of the public who used to access these services are advised to visit other clinics around town.

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