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Rennell celebrates new area health centre

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Front elevation of the Togoa Area Health Centre

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

THE Rennell community on Thursday 26 April 26 held celebrations to mark the completion of the new Area Health Centre in Tigoa.

Main highlights of the event include giving of traditional gifts to 18 construction workers carpenters, plumbers, labourers, supervisors and contractor Bako Dua.

Elders of Tigoa agree that the new health centre is built to standard which shows quality of workmanship.

“We are sure now this hospital is finished and a new doctor’s house built, that many lives will be saved here.

“We are looking forward a doctor joining our community and working from this new hospital shortly.”

View of the new Tigoa Area Health Centre

The Rennell and Bellona Director of Nursing said, “I would like to sincerely thank the contractor Bako and his team for completing this Health Centre.

“Rennell has patiently waited for this investment in health in our community and it is great to see this project completed.

“I would also like to thank Mr Jonathan Bisili from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services who project managed this health centre from the beginning to the end.”

Mr Bako Dua said, “On behalf of my team at Bako Constructions we would like to thank the community for their continued support of this project.

Front elevation of the Togoa Area Health Centre

“There were number of times when payments were slow and food was low and local community of Tigoa feed boys so they could continue with the hospital and doctors house.”

He said such project was a community project, and he was proud for the workforce who has done a great job.

“It was a team effort and we are very proud to provide this hospital and doctors house to the Solomon Islands Government for the communities of Rennell and Bellona.”

“Finishing a new health centre and doctor’s house in less than 10 months is an amazing achievement,” he said.

The buildings was completed ahead of schedule and the agreement to include a new doctor’s house achieved significant cost savings.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is planning to have an official opening later in the year after the installation of the new medical equipment and designated health staff, including a permanent doctor arrives.

The completion of Tigoa AHC is constructed under workforce of Bako Constructions.

Presenting gifts to contractors of the Tigoa Area Health Centre

Fast deteriorating roads due many factors

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

THE current fast deteriorating of roads experienced in Honiara is due to a lot of factors, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID).

Speaking to Island Sun yesterday, MID’s Central Project Implementation Unit (CPIU) Director, Civil Engineering, Harry Rini explained that roads when usually designed for infrastructure have a design life.

“Our tar sealed roads design life is already over having when they reach the end of their design life then we need to reconstruct or rehabilitate them up,” said the CPIU Director.

“Patching only potholes will not solve the road problem as more potholes will only be created being a similar scene to what we are currently experiencing.

“Another factor is the weather or climate change you might say as our weather pattern is quite different. It is quite difficult for the current roads to survive through such weather experienced when they are already in their failure state.

“Building through these current adverse weathers is difficult in really constructing a good road.”

The CPIU Director elaborated that there are issues as well on the drainages in which is one of the contributing factors in Honiara because most of the drainages going out to sea are being blocked by developments along the seaside.

“It is quite difficult for us to put out drainages to where we want because we will then have to pay some hefty cost to the developers to push out the drainages systems. It is one big problem we have.” said the CPIU Director.

“With our current drainage system in Honiara, once there is a big flood then we will really have a hard time and on top of that, a lot of people throw rubbish along the drainages causing debris to fill up at culverts.

“It is beyond our control over the drainages systems.”

The other factor area touched on also is the current budget cut experienced from the National Government.

“As there are other pressing needs of the government, we can only work with what the government has given us though there is really a big part for us to work on,” said Rini.

CPIU’s Director said that there are also a lot of complains from the public over contractors covering soils onto potholes in which he said is also a challenge for MID.

“This kind of approach is new to us. During the past, the government usually did maintenance on the roads but very recently, we have gone out to outsourcing. We are trying to develop the construction industry and we have been trying to put most of the contractors to the level expected.

“Sometimes they make mistakes and I correct them as this is an ongoing process. Hopefully in the years to come, we will see that our contractors will have a good capacity to really manage well our contracts.

“But then being a developing country, much cannot be said as these are some of the challenges where we ourselves face.”

Through bigger projects, CPIU’s Director said international companies will come and do construction.

“We now just hope that after we have the highway completed, we assure that there will be improvement in terms of roads conditions,” said the CPIU Director.

MID & donors to fix roads

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

WITH what is usually shared financially to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) from the National Government, they only have constraints to work on roads in Honiara.

But with from ongoing donors support, MID is sure that they can put the capital city’s roads back to the standards wanted and what the public expects.

MID’s Central Project Implementation Unit (CPIU)Director, Civil Engineering, Harry Rini said with the current budget cut has really affected them in which they can only go in and do a couple of maintenance on the roads and that’s it.

“In terms of really fixing the problems of the roads starts at their bottom. We cannot only do maintenance all the time on potholes as the roads won’t be fixed that way. Signs of potholes means the road itself is failed from the bottom,” said the CPIU Director.

“The intervention JICA is currently doing along the city’s highway is the medicine of the roads.

“On feeder roads, we have some maintenance programs coming up in which we will need the similar treatment along the highway currently to be applied on them as well because the feeder roads themselves are failed.”

He also added that with the short bus routes recently enforced by the Honiara City Council (HCC), they are looking forward for the conditions of the roads to be good to go along with the initiatives of HCC.

“If we have good roads then the developments HCC would like to establish in terms of transportation in Honiara might work well,” said the CPIU Director.

Health ministry set pathway to achieve SDGs

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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MHMS Permanent Secretary Dr Dalipanda

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

MHMS Permanent Secretary Dr Dalipanda

THE Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 comprises 17 goals that will guide development efforts for the next 15 years.

The SDGs include 169 targets over 200 global indicators with 24 targets under health specific goals (SDG3) and more than 20 targets related to health under other goals.

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a separate target in the SDGs as well as the platform that brings together programmes and actions for health and development.

Adhering to the guiding principle of UHC, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services is pursuing integrated care with the goal of improving range and quality of services available to population in line with concept of primary health care and overall vision of “Health for All”.

MHMS Permanent Secretary Dr Dalipanda said the integrated services deliver packages have become a key tool to drive changes made necessary by Solomon Islands Government’s adoption of the Role Delineation Policy.

He said the definition of service roles will enable equitable allocation of resources and adequate support and supervision of lower levels of care.

The packages of services have become a key tool in operationalisation of a change in Solomon Islands’ primary healthcare policy and such experience has provided valuable lessons to learn for integrated care initiatives in similar settings such as Solomon Islands, Dalipanda adds.

Meanwhile, the National Health Strategy Plan 2016-2020 is focused on four key areas to improve service provision for all people of Solomon Islands and support, in particular those most vulnerable and hard to reach.

The enabling driver in the strategy is the Role Delineation Policy (RDP); ensuring that the right services and resources are at the right level of healthcare provision for the population.

With that Dalipanda said this year is a year of action which set them to actualise the RDP to meet the needs of Solomon Islands’ people.

The reform of health sets platform for the RDP; setting standards for what services and resources to be used at different levels of healthcare and services, he said.

“This is about us as an organisation reforming, reconfiguring, and changing how we can practice or do things in the best possible way that enables us to improve the well-being and health of all,” Dalipanda said.

With the implementation of the RDP, Dalipanda said it is a major undertaking which requires huge commitment of MHMS and development partners.

Gov’t looks to boost Tourism Cruise with exciting Initiative

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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By Gary Hatigeva

THE Solomon Islands government through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is hopeful to boost the country’s tourism cruise program with the likely inclusion of one of Fiji’s biggest cruise operators, Captain Cook, as works are closing in on an initiative to see plans become realized.

Following a week of thorough talks and visits to tourism stakeholders in the Asian region, on their way home, the Tourism Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Andrew Nihopara who was accompanied by the Tourism Director, Barney Sivoro, stopped in Fiji where they met with top officials from the Captain Cook Cruise operators as follow ups on establishment proposals.

According to the Permanent Secretary during an interviewed yesterday, explained that meetings to secure a deal with the group was something, which was done last year, and a follow up meeting with the company indicated that things are looking positive.

Nihopara said getting the operator into the country’s tourism domestic market was one of the ministry’s priority programs through its strategic development plans, and that earlier discussions have already been held with the group on it.

He said the recent stop over visit was to discuss some key areas needed to be looked into, as well as reiterating the country’s keen anticipation to have the operator include Solomon Islands in its cruise programs.

He added that after last week’s meeting, it is clear that the proposal is going to happen, but reminded that it is not something that will just take place overnight.

“It takes time, and so after our meeting in Nadi with the group, the onus is now on us from this end, that means a close collaborative program and approach is needed by the ministry with its stakeholders.

“Based on the outcomes from the recent dialogue in Fiji, we are expected to coordinate meetings with our local tourism stakeholders, and that should happen soon, getting ourselves prepared to participate in the new and exciting initiative.

“We will however, be expecting those from the Captain Cook Cruise Company to be here in Solomon Islands around August to see our onshore products and if they are satisfied, then we will have a deal.

“Therefore, working together to achieve this is very important, to see that we are able to pull them in, because it will be a big boost to our tourism industry, especially when we include an operator like the Captain Cook who’s already got its own market basis,” Nihopara explained.

He further added that whatever programs including marketing and promotions for the local destinations will be vital from Solomon’s participation in the cruise program if it is extended to our shores, and this will be highly emphasized in the domestic collaboration as potential destinations are realized.

“After their visit around the said period, if satisfied, some more administrative works will be involved, which include SIMSA and other relevant authorities, and so we might be looking at around April or just around the middle of 2019, for this initiative to be realized,” the excited PS added.

National health conference underway

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Health workers in group photo who attend the National Health Conference which currently underway at the FFA conference room

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

THE National Health conference is currently underway at the Forum Fisheries Agency conference room which convenes health workers to discuss Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-being.

More than 180 health worker across Solomon Islands including donor partners are meeting under the theme: “Moving towards Universal Health Coverage through Implementation of the Role Delineation Policy”.

The discussion is focussed on implementation of the Role Delineation Policy (RDP), a newly designed framework Ministry of Health and Medical Services created to work on for achieving the SDG3.

The RDP is identified as a key vehicle to ensure equal distribution of doctors, nurses and improvement of infrastructure reach provincial and community level, and 2030 Solomon Islands should achieve the SDG3.

MHMS’s Permanent Secretary Dr Tenneth Dalipanda said the RDP has been identified as a key vehicle to drive them achieve common goals across all health sectors, and take Solomon Islands towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

He said taking this vehicle together and implementing RDP will mean changes although it may be difficult to progress.

For Solomon Islands to effectively implementing the RDP across the provinces, Dalipanda said it requires courage from everyone involved to ensure health workers ultimately made changes for betterment of this country.

With the four-day conference, Dalipanda said it is a wonderful opportunity to discuss how changes can be made and RDP can be implemented in months and years ahead.

Yesterday’s gathering started with presentation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) about Universal Health Coverage followed by MHMS on the RDP, Change management and RDP implementation.

According to Solomon Islands’ National Development Strategy Objective three, it stated country’s stand to ensure citizens have access to quality health and education.

Access to quality health care is a universal aim for all Solomon Islanders, the NDS stated.

The NDS also highlighted Women are access to health and family planning services which has been reported poor in rural areas, and made infant and child mortality rates remain high.

Overall, NDS has set its vision for health is to ensure all contribute to well-being of Solomon Islands people with aim to achieve Good Health and Well-being by 2030.

The 2018 National Health Conference was set purposely to improve shared understanding of the RDP including to inform thinking and planning for RDP’s implementation through strategies and actions.

A blue charter for sustainable ocean development

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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DEAR EDITOR, an article in the Island Sun yesterday, Tuesday, May 1, 2018, cited the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ( CHOGM) in London where Commonwealth member delegates, including the Solomon Islands PM, discussed climate change and identified the need for a unified global action plan to address rising sea levels, biodiversity loss, plastic pollution and over-fishing.

A Blue Charter set of guiding principles was considered to guide nations in sustainable ocean development and ensure maritime industries are managed in a way that preserves and promotes ocean health.

The Blue Charter plan put forward would apply to ocean governance in accordance with the 16 principles and values of the Commonwealth Charter, including environmental protection, good governance, justice and peace, human rights, gender equality and recognition of the needs of vulnerable nations and young people.

It was envisaged the charter will help support countries to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals in particular Goal 14 to conserve and sustainably use the seas.

To give it practical effect, a knowledge and innovation hub and series of best practice toolkits will be developed, complementing the existing support provided by the Commonwealth Secretariat to its 45 coastal member countries.

It is understood that at the end of CHOGM, the Commonwealth Heads mandated the Secretariat to take forward the Blue Charter plan of action and to have it supported.

Quoting the article in the Island Sun, commentary said, “Today’s situation with a multitude of piecemeal national and regional approaches and policies can neither effectively address the difficulties the environment and especially the ocean face in a coherent manner nor monitor global progress. “

It is imperative, therefore, that the Blue Ocean plan becomes a game changer because of the special vulnerability of small island states and the impact of climate change already impacting on them, especially in the case of the Solomon Islands where five small islands have already been lost to the sea and coastal erosion and salt water intrusion threatening homes and many lives.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

A seminar on innovation soon in Auki

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Director of Malaita Health, Dr Rex Maukera.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

Head of the National Psychiatric Unit at Kilu’ufi Hospital, Dr Rex Maukera.

A one-day innovation seminar has been proposed for Thursday next week in Auki.

The seminar aims to train and develop the mindset of people for positive thinking.

Dr Rex Maukera, who will be conducting the training, says the training mainly focusses on how to develop an innovative and creative mindset.

Having a background in psychiatry, he said so many times the mindsets of people are narrow because of the environment and what has been experienced.

“So I believe if we start to create people’s shift of mindset they will make great use of opportunities around us.

“For example, instead for people to see situation as a problem they will see as an opportunity.

“That will also help people to see opportunity outside to make use of it rather than going to MPs to ask free handouts from them everytime,” he said.

Maukera also added that during the training they will introduce a method of “zoom-in zoom-out zoom-in” on how to generate ideas.

Maukera said he will also cover “grow and fix mindset” that motivates human beings in many aspects of development.

The training is open to youths, women, men and organisations who interested to be part of the training.

Malaita DPS recalled to mother ministry

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

THE Malaita deputy provincial secretary has been recalled to the Ministry of provincial government (MPGIS).

This follows the Malaita provincial assembly’s vote to have the MPGIS deal with the officer.

Malaita provincial secretary, Mr Jackson Gege tells this to Island Sun to clarify rumours that the DPS has been sacked.

Gege explained that people need to understand that Malaita provincial government (MPG) is not an employer of the DPS.

He said the DPS is a public servant, thus the MPG has no right to sack him.

“This is what happened. And as I can remember a resolution was moved in the assembly during the recent sitting to refer my DPS to the mother ministry.

“A vote was taken and majority voted in favour of recalling my DPS back,” he said.

He said reasons were there, and in order to take such actions against a secondary staff it must have strong backups to support the recall.

Gege said the recall does not mean he was sacked; he still is a public servant and the ministry can place him at any place to work.

“So I hope this information has cleared the rumour people had on the recall made on my DPS,” he said.

Businesses discuss 2018 Budget

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

OVER 50 businesses of the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SICCI) were presented a post analysis study of the 2018 National Budget.

This is the first forum to be organised in the country for businesses to hear an independent and in-depth analysis of the National Budget and the implications it has for the private sector, growth and the economy.

The initiative to understand the Budget is driven by SICCI in partnership with Deloitte, a professional service provider that also do private sector national budget post analysis studies in Papua New Guinea for the private sector.

Those attending the discussions were given the opportunity to ask questions to the Panel of four speakers; Donald Kiriau (Treasurer of the Economics Association of Solomon Islands [EASI]), Andrew Harris (Partner Deloitte Tax & Business Services), Frank Wickham (General Manager of National Fisheries Development [NFD]) and Tony Hughes (a freelance consultant and Transparency Solomon Islands Board Member).

The panel brought an in-depth overview of how the private sector and economy will be affected by the budget cuts – occurring mostly in the Development Budget.

Most significant is the decreased expenditure in the Development Budget, which has been subject to more than $400 million cut from 2017.

One of the issues discussed is on forecasted revenue growth, envisaged to grow by around 10 percent in 2018 compared to 2017, with new IRD measures and the increase in import duty on fuel contributing to the revenue growth.

The Budget has certain implications which may impede future long-term growth due to the reduction of capital expenditure, the rise in tax burden and cost to businesses and lesser support for key growth industries.

Nonetheless, some key positive aspects of the national budget include, a greater focus on fiscal consolidation and achieving a balanced budget, while rebuilding cash buffers over the medium term.

EASI Treasurer and Panel member, Mr Kiriau further explained, “After the past couple of years of budget deficits, the fiscal consolidation in the 2018 budget has been anticipated. It is indeed welcome as it would contribute to rebuilding the buffers and ensuring fiscal discipline.

“However, there are also issues surrounding the quality and efficiency of the development budget.

“In the near term, the reduction in the capital expenditure could lessen the impact of government spending on the economy and the private sector.

“In the long term, the concern is that sharp reductions in suitable public investments might hamper the country’s productivity and future growth prospects.”

There was also strong emphasis for reform to the current tax system to support growth.

Wickham reflected on his expertise in the fisheries and education sectors when providing comments on the Budget, while veteran economist Hughes supported the panel dialogue with his wealth of experience in development policy.

SICCI CEO Dennis Meone said he was satisfied with the analysis and depth of discussions.

He emphasised SICCI’s continued partnership with the government and assured businesses that SICCI will use existing platforms such as the MOU with the government and the Advisory Committee to push for more private sector consultation and involvement in shaping government policies and important reforms.

“This budget presentation was an important session to help inform the business sector about the Budget and what it may mean for business activity,” the CEO acknowledged.

“The yearly Budget is the key fiscal tool that guides government expenditure each year, so we see increased dialogue around the Budget as a positive thing.”

–SICCI PRESS

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