BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO
A local prominent doctor is appealing to the government to set up non-communicable disease (NCD) clinics around the country.
This is in light of the exponential growth of NCD in the country, against very limited resources to deal with this problem.
Dr Jones Ghabu, consultant physician for Non-Communicable Diseases and Diabetic Centre, National Referral Hospital (NRH), said a clear evidence is the increasing rate of NCD admission at the NRH.
“My appeal to my beloved government of the day, please we need NCD clinics for all provinces in Solomon Islands.
“My Soldiers are well trained but we have no battleship or tanker to fight,” he said.
Ghabu said the truth and reality is that NRH is the only hospital with a standalone diabetic clinic in the whole country.
“CIP- Tulagi, Isabel-Buala and Temotu and Guadalcanal Provinces have no NCD clinics.
“I have trained their soldiers, they have no tankers or battle ship nor ammunition to fight.
“For Makira, Gizo Hospital and Helena Goldie Hospital-Munda and Temotu, I thank the REC (Eye Team) for sharing their building with us.
“Choiseul -Taro, Malaita-Kiluúfi and Renbel, all shared tables and desks with other public health programmes- no space to manage NCD programmes in this crisis,” he said.
Ghabu said this war is long overdue to be fought. It needs all hands-on deck.
“Now a days clinicians watch helplessly the sad reality of this deadly disease on daily practice and, we only wish this country come together with a slogan UMITUGEDA AGAINST NCD”, a shift in thinking and approach to prevent and control this deadly pandemic-NCD Crisis,” he said.
