BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
While the Health budget appears large, its structure tells a different story, says Member of Parliament (MP) for South New Georgia/Rendova- Tetepare Constituency, David Gina.
Sharing this concern during the Sine Die Motion in parliament on Wednesday this week, he stressed that clinics remain without reliable buildings, staff housing, or medicines despite the government prioritising public health.
“This does not deliver care; they deliver transmissions,” he said.
Gina said public health infrastructure determines whether services work in practice and not just on paper.
“Total funding stands at around 700 million in 2025 and rises to about 852 million in 2026. Yet, Public Accounts Committee analysis shows that only about 8.1 percent of the allocation for development with more than 91percent absorbed by recurrent costs. This sits outside the stated policy model of an 80-20 ratio balance and civil limits of pace of infrastructure delivery,” he said.
Gina said that even the small development shares are not fully translated into results.
“Development execution stands at around 44 percent compared to 77 percent for recurrent spending and 78 percent for donor-funded programmes. This explains why long lists of promised clinics co-exist with communities still waiting for completed facilities,” he said.
Gina said it is important to recognise achievements, noting that the first major increase in many years was the $125 million funding for the national medical stores to increase and help stabilise medicine and drug supplies.
“Six primary health care facilities; Dedeo, Konide, Wagina, Leona, Tukutaunga and Kwantai have been completed and handed over. The development portfolio now includes 10 new rural health clinics; showing progress where funding and execution align. I must congratulate the Minister for Health for a job well done,” Gina said.
He also raised that sanitation and drainage failures in Honiara feed directly into disease and hospital pressure.
“Weak development funding across government means this problem continues to land at the doors of the health system. Absence of public amenities in Honiara and provincial centres is not only a public health risk, but also an impact on our visitors and tourists,” he said.
Gina warns that public health requires discipline to lift development investment, improve delivery, align infrastructure, workforce, and the supply system and cannot run on recurring spending alone.
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