BY EDDIE OSIFELO
MALAITA Premier Daniel Suidani is now in Australia seeking life-saving medical treatment after the national government ignored a doctor’s recommendation to assist the premier in his travel and treatment.
With support of friends and family members, Suidani had to fund the full cost of his travel and medical.
The premier has been suffering from chronic headache since late last year.
A medical report Island Sun cited, prepared by NRH physician Dr Elizabeth Wore, stated Suidani suffered throbbing headache on the right side of his forehead, supraorbital, parietal and temporal region.
The report said the premier used to experience this in the early hours of the morning about 2am, lasting until 6am.
“This would wake him up most nights,” the report said.
Later, according to the report, the headache came on during the day and persists throughout the day worsening in severity to pain score of 5 to 7 out of 10 by midnight and would persist till morning.
“Headache disturbs his sleep most times however gets some relief with Paracetamol/Panadine/Ibuprofen and intermittent use of Oxycodone for severe headache.
“There were no aggravating or precipitating factors. He denied nausea or vomiting.
“There was no associated fever, night sweats or weight loss. Now the headache is localised in the frontal and central region of his head with severe excruciating pain and heavy headedness lasting hours and would be relieved with opiates (Oxycodone) however, short-lived.
“He has normal vision however he developed an acute onset of left facial weakness associated with inadequate closer of his left eye but no limb weakness.”
Because his condition cannot be treated here, Dr Wore recommended to the Government’s Referral Committee that Suidani travels overseas for CATC scan and diagnosis.
But sources said the recommendation was simply ignored.
A spokesman for the Malaita Provincial Government says in the end, Premier Suidani had to use his own resources and donations from friends and families to travel to Australia for treatment.
“The premier left early this month and is currently in Brisbane for treatment,” the spokesman said.
Comments are being sought from the Government’s Referral Committee.
