SUPERVISING director of Malaita provincial health, Dr David Danitofea has revealed that more than 70 percent of health system in the province has run-down, and only waits to be shutdown.
Danitofea made the statement during the launch of covid-19 vaccination program Friday in Auki saying it’s a blow for the province as it faces the threat from the pandemic.
He said early this year a study was carried out by UNICEF and provincial health on health facilities, staffing, drugs and other related health resources in the province.
Danitofea said the report produced after the survey was interesting as it found that more than 70 percent of health facilities in the province had run down and some need to close-down.
“Our health facilities are not up to standard. Adding to that, more than half of rural clinics in the province are run by nurse-aides instead of registered nurses,” Danitofea said.
“Even Kilu’ufi hospital also faces similar situation. Sometimes during a shift, only a nurse will look after the whole ward whilst this is the main hospital in province,” he added.
Members of provincial health staffs inside the vaccination centre at Auki Market.
Danitofea stressed that health system in the province was not up to standard and does not match what the ministry of health wants for the country.
“Our health system is down and we are struggling with it. Exposing this is for us to see the reality of our health system… it’s not a good news,” he said.
Danitofea said being with that run-down health status, think about if the corona virus enters Malaita.
“It will be a blow and disaster for Malaita.”
He said while the national government is doing all it could to stop the virus, people must be responsible and get vaccinated to prevent a disaster in the event the virus enters the community.
“The best thing to do to prevent corona virus is get vaccinated, so that we are ready to face the virus. And only through that we can deal with it.
“We must try all our best to avoid the virus and not just to sit down and do nothing,” Danitofea said.
SHE withstands the heat, the dust and with her body stretched to the limit, she keeps going to provide for her family.
This is the story of 36-year-old, Rose Oli who fought against the odds in trying to earn money to help her family.
Oli is from Ranongga Island. She had to travel 30km by boat to reach Gizo to sell her fruit and root crops.
Earlier this week, she left behind her 3-year-old child, her husband and came to Gizo to sell bananas, cassava and potatoes at the Gizo Market.
However, luck has not been forthcoming as COVID-19 strained the economy leaving this struggling mother of four to earn only a few dollars per day.
“Life is really hard at the moment, not many customers showed up to buy my products.
“Last time, I earned around SBD$500 to SBD$600 dollars a day and now it took me almost a week to earn these amounts.
“Most of us come from the other Islands around Gizo and we have to spend weeks here before returning home to our families.
“I believe COVID-19 has taken a toll on us poor mothers,” Oli said.
The past few months has been very challenging with most vendors’ earnings falling dramatically. What keeps the 36-year-old going is her children’s education and other family needs.
Giving up is not an option for her and the struggle is far from over.
Other women who also trying to get money by selling root crops and vegetables at Gizo Market
“My family depends on what I’m doing. Money that I earn help us pay school fees, school uniform, community contributions, church contributions and other household needs.
“This business is really tough but I have no choice, I have to sacrifice my life so that my children could get a better life in the future,” Oli said.
She said living rough while at Gizo is a choice, and that she will surely return in the next few weeks and go through the same trail when her family needs money.
Oli and her friends normally slept at the MSG building.
The building has no walling exposing the women to rain and wind, with decreasing temperature during night time.
Disturbance caused by drunkards has also been an issue for the women when trying to get a good rest after an exhausting day at the market.
“At times the tumbling cold really affected us mentally and physically, we want the night to be over so that we can sell our products at the market.
“My worst experience was when I caught pneumonia and was sick.
“Being sick while away from my family was the worst feeling I ever had,” Oli said.
She said, the restless night, low earning and time spent at the market come down to one thing, and that is the amount of money she will take home at the end.
Oli stressed that there are expenses that market vendors have to pay; such as market fees and boat fare to and from Gizo.
From her experience she said the boat fare from her village at Ranongga to Gizo is SBD$180 and space at the market cost $10 per day – meaning she has to spend $260 for transport and around $50 plus for space at the Gizo Market.
“Sometimes we head home with $50.00 after buying some foods and other important stuff here at Gizo.
“This is real many times as I’ve said earlier, our intake during this time of COVID-19 is very bad and the situation is challenging for us to put food on the table so as helping our children,” she said.
Oli lives with her four children and her husband. Three of her children are in school: one in grade five and the other two in grade six.
Financial pressure is mounting on Oli and her husband as their two children are looking forward to go to secondary school where school fees and uniforms will be much higher.
Distance from Ranongga to Gizo
The dolorous trail of COVID-19 or more so its economic impact has taken its toll on Oli but she puts on a happy face and smiles to relive the pressure.
With her eyelids heavy and red, the super woman made it look easier than it is.
Oli’s story reminds me of my parent. Both my mum and dad are unemployed and over the years they’ve tried their best to give me and my other siblings a better life.
Now, I got a job, provide for myself and my own family. It is my responsible to turn the clock and look after mum and dad.
Life is unfair at times but we must sacrifice ourselves to get out of challenges we face. Our commitments and effort counts.
Beyond these struggles we will soon die and rest forever. This is the beauty of life.
A 36-year-old man is in police custody on allegations he raped his four daughters on separate occasions, the youngest just two months old.
Of the four victims, one is the man’s stepdaughter, while the other three are his biological daughters.
Commissioner of police Mostyn Mangau told reporters at a press conference yesterday the alleged incidents occurred at a village near Munda, Western province.
Mangau said the first incident occurred between January 1 and 31, 2017 in which the man allegedly had sexual intercourse with his stepdaughter while his wife was away at the hospital giving birth to the couple’s first child (a daughter).
The victim was two years old when the incident took place.
The second incident occurred on January 10, 2019 in which the man allegedly had sexual intercourse with his first-born daughter at their home while his wife was away with their second-born daughter.
The victim was two years old at the time of the alleged incident.
The third incident occurred between July 1 and 31, 2021, in which the man allegedly had sexual intercourse with his second born daughter, who was one-year and 11 months old at the time.
The fourth incident also allegedly took place between July 1 and 31, 2021 in which the man had sexual intercourse with his third-born daughter, who was just two months old at that time.
According to police, the wife was in the kitchen preparing food while the third and fourth incidents took place.
Commissioner Mangau said the man had threatened his wife he would kill her if she reported him to the police.
However, it was after the fourth incident that the wife decided to report her husband to the police.
Police arrested the man Monday this week (9 August 2021), placing him in custody awaiting remand at the Gizo Correctional facility.
Mangau said police investigations are underway.
He could not comment when asked whether the accused is mentally ill, saying such information would be made available when investigations are completed.
Mangau said the man is being held at Gizo police station.
Monitoring and community awareness is underway on Savo island following the increase in volcanic activities there.
Villagers had reported the surge in seismic happenings on July 28.
As a result, the Seismology Unit of Geology Survey Division in the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification and the National Emergency Operational Centre at the National Disaster Management Office have visited the site to collect data.
Ministry of Environment Climate Change Disaster Management and Meteorology Permanent Secretary, Dr Melchior Mataki said they are collaborating in terms of Geo hazards like volcano, earthquakes and what-not.
“We depend on our Geo Hazard advisor which is the MMERE that deal with it.
“They are monitoring it even up until now,” he said.
Further to that, Mataki said they have also activated their Provincial Disaster Management arrangements.
“We activated Central Province Provincial Disaster Council and Provincial Disaster Committee and they have started their community outreach programmes from last week.
“We also reactivated some work done on islands and province in terms of planning,” he said.
Mataki said some of the plans dated way back in colonial days and have been renewed and really need to be relooked into.
Island Sun understands the Savo volcano has erupted in the past and there are warnings it could happen again.
Fataleka Constituency CDO and CPO (second and third from right) donated the medical supplies to Fauabu AHC Chaplain Fr Philip Kaukui and the nursing staff team.
Two health centres in Fataleka have received timely assistance from MP Rexson Ramofafia.
Fauabu Rural Health Centre sits at the border between West Kwara’ae and West Fataleka and the Gwarata Area Health Centre is in the East Fataleka region.
Both were furnished with basic medical supplies.
A media statement from the Fataleka constituency office yesterday said the assistance follows reports it received earlier this year that the health centres were facing ‘a critical situation’.
“Fataleka Constituency office was reliably informed that these rural health based centres were without basic medical supplies for a significant period of time.
“It was understood that the situation had placed many lives at risk.
“It was also reported that patients including mothers and children had to walk long distances in order to access nearest health services.
“According to one of the constituents in West Fataleka, he stated that the situation they were been through was extremely difficult.”
Acknowledging the assistance, Nurse-in-charge in one of the centres said: “What you had provided today would helped restored the needed basic services to the people.”
The assistance reflects MP Ramofafia keeping abreast with much needed medical services in his constituency.
Ramofafia had envisioned building an additional area health centre facility in East Fataleka.
Consultation with landowners is completed with work on the proposed clinic pending for formalities.
The Fataleka MP also helped in constructing one staff house for a clinic in West Fataleka.
Ramofafia says support towards improving health services in his constituency remains a priority commitment.
ABOUT 50 international vessels arrived in Solomon Islands in July.
Chairman of the Vessel Exemption Committee, Dr Jimmie Rodgers confirmed through virtual meeting from Fiji to media during a press conference in Cabinet on Wednesday.
These include four vessels, 15 cargo vessels, four tankers carrying fuel and gas, 18 fishing vessels and nine logging vessels.
Rodgers said the VEC has strict protocol to impose on ships coming to Solomon Islands.
“The most important thing is where has the ship being in the last two months and particularly the last 21 days.
“The second is the crew lists, where crew join, at what time, which country,” he said.
“So, if the crew join in Papua New Guinea, it means that it is a high-risk country.
“That mean we need to test the crew even if he had test already when he comes to Solomon Islands.”
Furthermore, Rodgers said the minimum cost for logging vessels is $68,000 for one test and $100,000 for two tests.
He said in the vessel quarantine, the highest they raised was $170,000.
Rodgers said one objective of VEC is to reduce risks of bringing covid 19 in through ships to Solomon Islands.
“So far in Solomon Islands, we have recorded formally seven positive cases that came through ships.
“But they are not recorded under Solomon Islands, because under covid protocol they are recorded under conveyance of ships,” he said.
“So, it doesn’t do injustice to the country because the country did not bring them in,” he said.
Moreover, Rodgers said about 70 of the country’s containers come from Papua New Guinea.
“If we put 14 days to ships coming from PNG, we say goodbye to the ships.
“Even if 5 days, they threaten to bypass Solomon Islands, this is not good for our economy,” he said.
Therefore, the VEC focuses on the safety and also manages the risk as well.
The Leader of Opposition Matthew Wale fully endorses recent submissions by Solomon Islands High Commissioner to Australia, HE Robert Sisilo in Canberra, pushing for an increase in the current age limit, under the Labour Mobility Scheme and the Seasonable Workers Programme between Australia and Pacific Island Countries, up to 55 years.
Mr Wale says the dialogue in Canberra was timely given the need to ensure long term sustainability and efficiency of these programmes to continue benefiting participating countries and employers in Australia alike, hence the submissions by Mr Sisilo were crucial.
“If there is high demand in Australian urban and metropolitan areas for semi to skilled workers, the increase in the age limit will enable us fill a gap in Australian industries, while at the same time, the experience and exposure gained will no doubt add value to our efforts in keeping our domestic industry afloat moving forward,” says Wale.
The Opposition Leader therefore encourages the Government to continue the dialogue to increase the age limit, and to also push for an increase in the total number of workers going to Australia, from the current status, which is roughly 100, to at least a thousand per month.
The Opposition Leader then urged the Government to look at totally taking out the logistical costs involved, especially with passports, medical clearance, police clearance, birth certificates and other requirements, enabling more of our people to try out these opportunities.
“On this note, I also call on the High Commissioner, to establish a unit within his office, whose role is to scout for more of these opportunities in Australia.
“We need more workers to participate in this programme, so that they can contribute to our economy through remittances,” the Opposition Leader adds
Officers at the Kulitanai Police Station in Western Province have arrested and charged a 38-year-old man for raping a 32-year-old female at a village in Shortland Islands on August 8, 2021.
Initial reports said that the victim was sleeping early in the morning when the defendant knocked at her door calling her. The victim came out and saw the defendant standing in front of the door and the defendant grabbed her hair and forced her to follow him.
The victim refused to accept the defendant’s request to follow him and have sexual intercourse so she tried to escape but she couldn’t because the defendant grabbed her hand and threatened to kill her.
It was alleged that the defendant had sexual intercourse with the victim twice.
Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau says, “The matter was reported to police by the victim and the accused was arrested and placed in police custody.
“The defendant was interviewed and charged with two counts of rape, contrary to section 136F (1) (a) & (b) of the Penal Code Cap 26 as amended by the Penal Code (Amendment) (Sexual Offences) Act, 2016.”
The defendant is remanded at the Gizo Correctional Centre awaiting his appearance in Court at a later date as investigation into the incident continues.
“I appeal to all women and girls to look after yourself.
“Shout out for help or assistance when something is wrong or about to happen.
“I further appeal to all men in our communities to respect our women and girls as such an incident will affect them for the rest of their lives.
Chairperson for NHA and Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr Jimmie Rodgers.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
MANDATORY vaccination is crucial to protect the under-18-year-old population in the country.
Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr Jimmie Rodgers said this to the media via virtual conference on Wednesday this week.
He said the difference with Delta variant is that it kills a lot more than the original covid-19 strain.
“Why we need the vaccination is because 56,900 doses in four months is just not acceptable, it cannot protect us?” he said.
“And those of us can be protected if we chose not to be protected, our children, our families in the house we live are vulnerable.
“So, this is where the moral and ethical thing come in when you talk about vaccination,” he said.
Under the country’s vaccination roll out programme, the eligible target population is 414,327 of the estimated total population of 700,000 by end of this year.
Rodgers said since the vaccination programme started in March up until last Friday, they have managed to administer 56,900 doses.
He said of that, only 13,188 people are fully vaccinated.
However, Rodgers said to achieve the herd immunity of 80 percent of the 414 327, you need to vaccinate 331,500.
“That is the minimum number that we need to cover that both doses before we have any change of having some herd immunity.
“Herd immunity is important when disease come into the country, those that are not protect are protect by those that are vaccinated,” he said.
Furthermore, Rodgers said even if the 414,325 people are vaccinated, that is only 60 percent of the total population.
He said 40 percent of the total population cannot be vaccinated, not by choice but because they are under 18.
“Those are the people that we have to worry about.
“If we don’t vaccinate, it no just us, because in Fiji, children are dying,” he said.
Rodgers said Delta variant is no longer like the alpha variant.
“Alpha variant does not affect young people, here (Fiji) the delta variant, young children are the most affected.
“In Australia, 70 percent are the old people, 30 percent are the young people and they are dying and affected,” he added.
“How do you step up vaccination to protect the 40 percent?” he asked.
Island Sun understands the vaccination programme has rolled out to Western Province and is expected in Malaita next week.
CALM DOWN: Police Inspector Tex Tafoa addressing a crowd that gathered at Kukum yesterday in anticipation of a protest march to the Prime Minister's Office. Heavy presence of Police on ground at Kukum on Monday calmed the rowdy crowd and dispersed them while their leaders worked with Police to address the issue.
BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
POLICE Commissioner Mostyn Mangau is urging students and young people not to participate in unlawful gatherings and protests.
He says this after students were seen participating in Monday’s gathering of a rowdy crowd planning to march on the prime minister’s office.
“Parents, guardians and teachers must remind students that such gathering is illegal.”
He said students and young people must stay away from such.
Mangau said in previous occasions some students were among those caught, resulting in these scholars having a criminal record.
“Therefore, students and young people must away from crime and illegal activities, because it will spoil their future in their education.
“It has been experienced that student and young people who came here for police clearance are struggling because they have a criminal history and I’m sad to see this though they have higher qualification but due to criminal records, it affected their live and their living.”
The situation is now calm and schools should allow classes to continue, Mangau said.
Mangau said police will not tolerate such activities that threaten public safety.
He said there will be 200 police officers on patrol from now and throughout the week assessing the situation in making sure peace and security is maintained.
