BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

Honiara City Council (HCC) will register only 30 buses to service the capital.

This is the Honiara City Mayor Hon Andrew Mua’s response to the massive turn out of bus owners, drivers and conductors in protest yesterday at the Honiara City Council compound.

But, responding to the Mayor’s decision, a concerned bus owner said HCC must make sure the 30 available spaces must be given to local bus owners.

He said some of the buses in Honiara are owned by Chinese businessmen and that HCC must make good decisions in favour of local bus owners.

The concerned bus owner said, “the Chinese have already engaged in other business ventures such as shops and restaurants as such it is will be totally unfair if these people are also dominating the bus service in Honiara.”

BY ALICE NANTARA

HELENA Goldie Hospital (HGH) has taken a bold step in the hope of securing its future.

This was confirmed through posters pinned up in shop fronts and the hospital’s notice board declaring newly implemented fee charges vital for the survival and running of the church-owned health-care service.

Since 2014, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) and Support Programme (HSSP) has been cut by 33 percent and its annual grant remains the same till present.

The Hospital no longer receives direct support for its annual budget from traditional donor partners except towards its capital expenditure (CAPEX) budget for Human Resources development and for infrastructure and medical requirements thus forcing the private establishment to look at other measures that will help in meeting and minimising major drawbacks caused by the budget cut done by SIG and traditional donors.

It costs the hospital $85 to care for one patient overnight and currently the hospital cannot really do that right now without experiencing major deficit in its already growing small purse.

According to HGH management team, despite not having empty beds and no patients, the establishment will still require money to meet financial costs such as wages, electricity, telephone bills, repairs and maintenance, etc. Such is the state of affairs HGH is now faced with that they have come up with a solution – imposing fees on the all services provided.

With the exemption of the out-patient department (OPD) whereby children, the unemployed and disabled are not charged, every other service have fees imposed.

The OPD charges employed citizens $10 for consultation while expats are required to pay an amount of $100 for the exact service.

To be admitted in any of the wards, fees are imposed according to your current status and multiplied by how many days you spent in a hospital bed.

Ward admission fee for children and students is $10 plus an extra $2 is charged thereafter per night while unemployed adults’ admission fee is $20 thereafter a daily down payment of $5.

The employed admission fee is $50 and thereafter an expected amount of $10 should be paid for each overnight stay while expats are going to be charged $50 per night.

Other medical services that require fees are the: medical examination (locals $100, expats $200), Scanning and X-ray ($50), Laboratory tests ($50), Birth and Death certificates ($50), Oxygen ($200), Sick leave report ,Medical record book or Mother’s Book ($20), Baby book ($25), Rental is $250 per night and market fees are also imposed on market vendors.

Fees imposed for services provided by HGH are in effect as of the 1st day of 2018 and subject to change as when determined by market fluctuations, and it’s the prerogative of the hospital management.

THE Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) strongly warns bus owners and drivers in Honiara to abide by the law following an illegal protest through the city yesterday at the recent changes instituted by the Honiara City Council to the bus routes.

At a meeting with the protesting bus owners and drivers at the Rove Police Headquarters in Honiara, Supervising Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Ms Gwen Ratu told them, “It was illegal for you to involve in such a protest as you did not get the necessary permit to stage such an activity.

“This is unlawful and I warn you bus owners and drivers to go back to providing your services to the public of Honiara according to the recent changes approved by the Honiara City Council.

“The changes apply to all buses operating within the city. Allow the recently formed Bus Association to deal with whatever issues arising out of the new bus routes with the necessary authorities.

“Police will not tolerate such illegal activities such as today’s protest and is prepared to take stern action against anyone who does not listen to this warning.”

The RSIPF would like to thank the bus owners and drivers for their understanding, respect and behavior during yesterday’s meeting at the Rove Police Headquarter.

–POLICE MEDIA

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

RENBEL provincial police commander (PPC) Inspector Aloysius Manegaua was given permission to leave Tingoa Police Station before the New Year (2018) to visit his sick mother who has since passed away.

This was clarified by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Assistant Commissioner Provincial (ACP), Joseph Manelugu.

Mr Manelugu explains that he had authorised the PPC for Rennell-Bellona to come over to Honiara to visit his mother who was in a critical condition at that time and that he handed over the duties of PPC to another senior officer.

“PPC Manegaua never ‘abandoned’ his post as reported in the media.

“The issue of the Officers posted at Tingoa Police Station leaving their post and the other issues with policing in Renbel Province is being addressed by the RSIPF Executive.”

Speaking to Island Sun yesterday, PPC Manegaua also confirmed that he was tending to his sick mother who had passed away on the 6th of this month, January.

“I did not flee from Tingoa Station as stated in the media today [yesterday], I travelled to Honiara because of my mother’s welfare,” said the PPC.

“The other Officers travelling to Honiara is to do with the internal matter of the police.

“Just because we were travelling together is maybe why the report of us fleeing together from threat is being related this way.”

The Renbel PPC is currently on compassionate leave and will be returning for official duties in two weeks’ time.

Meanwhile, reasons for the other six officers who accompanied Manegaua on January 1 back to Honiara are still unclear.

It was reported that RSIPF officers posted at the Tingoa police station had evacuated on the 1st of January because of some verbal abuse and threats from some members of the public.

Sources had also said the officers had been recalled by the Assistant Commissioner Provincial (ACP) following widespread complaints over their low performance leading up to and during the Christmas festivities.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

A concerned bus owner has urged public to comply with legal bus fare charges.

He said bus fare has become an issue faced every day for bus drivers and conductors when running bus service in the capital.

“When providing quality service and meeting standard required passengers at times not complying with the $3 rate bus fare.

“Also there are passengers who only pay $2 rate which made the conductors at times scared to ask for the other dollar which make up the $3 bus fare,” he said.

“Hence this new bus route routine endorsed will affect our earning for each day.”

He adds by urging public to comply with whatever rate agreed upon, which is $3 bus fare for adults and $2 rate for students.