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Sasamunga hospital without a doctor

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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By Mike Puia

SASAMUNGA hospital in Choiseul Province is currently without a doctor.

This is according to Rev. Caleb Kotali, the Hospital secretary.

The hospital, also known as PJ Twomey Memorial Hospital, is owned by the United Church.

Kotali has started an appeal to raise money to build an accommodation to house a doctor who is posted to the hospital.

“Currently, cases brought to this hospital are referred to Taro (Choiseul’s provincial centre) hospital or Gizo (Western provincial centre) hospital”.

According to Kotali referring cases to Taro or Gizo hospital is costly and unsafe for nurses and patients.

He said there have been recent cases where people went had drowned and died in the sea between Choiseul and Western provinces while attempting to access these health facilities.

Sasamunga hospital, which was recently refurbished, has 30 beds.

It offered services like; x-ray, scan, pharmacy, dental and primary health care.

Provincial Doctors at Taro hospital usually pay visits to the hospital to see patients there.

Maritime welcomes Belgium support

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

By Mike Puia

THE Solomon Islands Maritime Safety Administration (SIMSA) has welcomed the support offered by Belgium to boost the industry.

The government of Belgium has offered a programme that would help seafarers undergo training and gain experience overseas through attachment.

Representatives of the government of Belgium, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and our United Nations Ambassador in Geneva and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development signed the memorandum of understanding for this programme.

This paper has not sighted details of this program but according to SIMSA’s director Captain Tim Harris, it is a “complex programme”.

Mr Harris said the programme will enable seafarers to go on trainings and do attachments in Papua New Guinea, Australia and even the United Kingdom.

He said it was IMO that flagged the need for support to our maritime in 2016 and Belgium willingly stepped-in.

Harris said the understanding signed will help SIMSA improve safety and security in the industry.

 

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Preserve crown land for LOs

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

A concerned Temotuan is calling on their provincial government to preserve crown land in Santa Cruz for landowners and prohibit an Asian logging company currently operating in one of the districts from entering the area.

An outspoken Mr James Menai of Nangu Village, Santa Cruz stresses that the land which is covered with virgin trees belongs to landowners thus, something their provincial leaders should consider.

Henceforth, he said the provincial government should communicate with landowners with regards to development endeavors that can take place in the future.

Menai also stated that because the land is covered with virgin forests, another positive way of utilising it is to allow students who are majoring in Forestry and Agriculture studies to conduct their research there.

“So I strongly call on the Premier and his executive not to allow the crown land to be accessed by the company. It should be preserved for the landowners for future development purposes,” he said.

Special Task Team tour

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

A Task Team from Ward 11 and 12 in Northwest Choiseul Constituency made a tour to groups requesting attention from their Member of Parliament (MP) with regards to special projects.

The tour that took place between Polo and Voruvoru on February 16 2018. The tour was said to be fruitful.

“Fruitful in a sense that it aroused interests from groups in Varisi district to follow the trend,” Mr Nerio Ulemiki, media coordinator for Christ the King Parish at Voruvoru reports.

“Our team consisting of Chief Leo Takaku, Eddie Mason, Johnson Minevaleke and myself first stopped at Polo Village meeting with the Chief of Korasa Tribe Mr Stanley Kovo.”

Details of the meetings were not disclosed by Ulemiki.

Delay of allowance affects students’ rental

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0
Cramped conditions which students have to endure in costly rented houses in Fiji. Photo from Fiji Sun.

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

Cramped conditions which students have to endure in costly rented houses in Fiji. Photo from Fiji Sun.

DELAY of house rental payments in Fiji is beyond Solomon Islands University of the South Pacific (USP) students’ capability putting the blame back to the national government.

Due to the government’s usual failure to pay students allowance on time, Solomons USP students face the situation of landlords refusing them to rent their houses.

“Some landlords have not allowed their homes to be rented by us this year because of slowness experienced in not quickly paying our rentals,” said concerned USP students speaking to Island Sun last night.

Last week, USP students from Solomon Islands also reported being exploited by landlords charging exorbitant rents for poor quality accommodation.

Published by the leading Fiji newspaper Fiji Sun, these students are being charged as much as $300 per month each for a single room in which as many as 12 people are squeezed into.

From estimation, 300 Fijian dollars is more than a thousand Solomon dollars.

The focus area of concern in Suva for poor quality accommodation is at Nasese.

Concern for increased anti-social youth behaviour in Gizo

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

THERE is growing concern for the increasing number of young people indulged in homebrew and marijuana in Gizo, Western province.

A mother of three, Mrs Martha told Island Sun Gizo yesterday that women and girls are not safe from such practices that are entertained in communities around Gizo.

“This is dirty practice as young youths to entertain in Gizo and the influence of alcohol or drugs may lead you to the wrong direction.

“Alcohol and drugs affect each and every one of us, directly or indirectly: in our homes, in our families, in our school, in our community, town or nation as a whole.

“I observe most young youths start drinking alcohol and this is a concern for parents who are responsible to advice your children not to involve with other boys who influence drug,” said Martha.

She calls on Gizo police officers and parents to seriously monitor young boys, especially at night.

She said those who reside at Top-hill, Jah Mountain, Banana valley and District areas become victim to disturbances by youths.

“Responsible organisations, church elders, community leaders and parents must be responsible to stop those bad activities continue to be entertained in Gizo,” she said.

Showing appreciation and gratitude to others

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

DEAR EDITOR, two separate news stories came to my attention in the local media last week and both centered on individuals speaking out because they felt their efforts were not being appreciated and there was no gratitude for their work.

In the first instance a group of local Councillors in Choiseul complained that the work they had been doing for the community was not being appreciated and they were disappointed.

The second story emanated from a small group of municipal street cleaners in Gizo who, similarly, considered their work was going unrecognised and with little public support for the demanding work they had been doing.

When I think about public service and all those who dedicate their lives to this endeavour in the Solomon Islands, I am guessing that perhaps not many get the appreciation and gratitude they deserve.

Showing appreciation of a person’s work is known to directly impact on work results and employee reaction.

When a person is appreciated the individual’s performance is often boosted and wellbeing and health improved.

It would be my hope that all in the Solomon Islands would move towards a better appreciation of all those in society in work, large or small, that contribute daily to making the community more cohesive, productive and tolerant and who are striving to make a renewed ‘Happy Isle’ again.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

Royal PNG police view on corruption

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

DEAR EDITOR, quoting Radio New Zealand International news bulleting on February 18, 2018.

“The head of the Papua New Guinea police anti-fraud squad says corruption has grown significantly in recent years.

“Matthew Damaru said with the growth of PNG’s economy, corruption had grown from simple fraud to more elaborate scams.

“According to him, anti-fraud detectives are now looking at corruption at the highest level.

“However his anti-fraud squad became marginalised by funding constraints.

“Mr Damaru said last year the squad had a good year with lots of people arrested and charged, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to jail.

“He said he’s hoping the same will happen this year.

“If you can do more of those we can send that deterrent message. Otherwise you know corruption is going to go out of hand.”

“The thing that I fear is that I don’t want the new generation coming up to, when they see corruption, and say ‘this is our culture, this is how we live, this is how we do our business’, that is the last thing we want to see happen,” he said.

“We have hundreds of unsolved cases going back years but we don’t have the capacity to deal with them,” he said.

“The more people we can send to jail the more we can send a message of deterrence. But unfortunately we are unable to always do that because of resource constraints.”

“The problem was only getting worse, he explained.

“The more economic activity grows, the more money we have and that creates an incentive for people to want more money for themselves,” he said.”

Copyright : Radio New Zealand international 2018   (All Rights Reserved)

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

Rural health care of pregnant women, mothers and children

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

DEAR EDITOR, more than three years ago World Vision in the Solomon Islands reported that the country’s nurse aid posts and rural health clinics chronically lacked essential equipment and medicine to save mothers and children’s lives

As one reads more and more of the dilapidated and run down state of the county’s rural health clinics I begin to wonder how much more are pregnant women and mothers and children seeking medical assistance in the rural communities scattered across the country getting the help they need from humanitarian organisations in the Solomon Islands like World Vision?

The maternal mortality rate in the Solomon Islands was quoted by World Vision as 100 deaths per 100,000, compared with 1 in 4, 4700 in more wealthy countries.

It was known World Vision was previously working with communities to establish Village Health Volunteers who could assist pregnant women as they prepared to give birth safely and also educate them about maternal and child health issues.

I would hope that Village Health Volunteers trained by World Vision are still able to provide health advice to families and also available to encourage pregnant women to do antenatal check-ups and to prepare for the delivery of their babies.

Perhaps World Vision could comment on the work currently being done to aid pregnant women, mothers and children given what is currently known about the continuing reports of abandoned rural health clinics and in the light of the fact that the Prime Minister had vowed to give priority to rural health clinic problems on assuming office.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

West public told to vote wisely

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

PEOPLE of Western province are being urged to vote wisely this coming national general elections.

A Mr Andrew Koke told Island Sun Gizo yesterday said, “Most leaders are prioritizing decisions depending on their self-interests.”

“We need great leaders with performance, character and they have vision, courage, integrity, humility and focus along with the ability to plan strategically and catalyze cooperation amongst their people living in rural areas.

“Great leaders have a vision and they can see into the future. They have a clear, exciting idea of where they are going and what they are trying to accomplish and are excellent at strategic planning to lead our provinces.”

Western Province Registration Manager Christian Siale, the revising Officer (RVO), will travel to Honiara to handover all the registration data and materials to the SI Electoral Office for the finalisation of the Voters List and it is envisaged that this process should be completed by the end of this month for both Western and Choiseul provinces.

“Therefore, the responsible Ministry and National government will set the date for Western and Choiseul Province,” he said.

ENDS///

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