DEAR EDITOR, there has been much mentioned in the Island Sun newspaper in the past couple of weeks as reported by the Island Sun’s.
The latest story from Mike Puia covered the work of the Israeli Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) international non-profit organization and SACH’s operation of the Wolfson Medical Centre.
The story went on to say how Israeli children suffering from congenital and rheumatic heart disease can be treated and saved for free at the Wolfson Medical Centre.
Mike’s report also explained how the hospital has already treated more than 15.000 children world wide, including saving the lives of thousands of children mostly from developing countries.
Since its sole commitment is to help children, the hospital receives and attends to children from different religions, race, sex, and country. Even children from the Palestine Authority, Jordan and Iraq are currently taken good care of in the hospital and at SACH’s Legacy heritage Children’s Home.
A baby girl was recently treated at the hospital from Fiji. She had been diagnosed with a hole in her heart when she was just one year old. Now with the initial help of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SACH the young child has been given as second chance at life.
Mike’s story from Tel Aviv is heart warming and thanks must be extended to the SACH organization, to the Wolfson Medical Centre and to the Israeli government.
The second news report which was also featured in the Island Sun newspaper said the Israeli Government stands ready to support Pacific Island countries, including the Solomon Islands, improve their people’s livelihood and address pressing issues the Pacific countries are facing.
The report claimed the assurance was made by the Director General of the Israeli’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yuval Rotem.
Ambassador Rotem was said to have been speaking to a media team from the Pacific during their visit to the Ministry in Jerusalem.
He said their government has an international aid package of about $US480 million that is offered yearly to countries around the world that needs their support; aid Pacific countries could tap.
The report then went on to (quote) “But he said Israel shares common grounds with Pacific countries and it stands ready to help Pacific countries (who) need to do more on the world stage in order to be visible to them as there are many competing players for their support.”
“Rotem said this is something Pacific countries themselves need to do on their own so as not to be forgotten.”
“He said Pacific nations can put their act together and “seize the moment”.
In the context of what Ambassador Roten was quoted as having said, I am mindful of the fact that in terms of getting aid there are always conditions of one form or another attached, some requiring return payments, improvements in governance, human rights, political support – and the saying that there is no such thing a free lunch is very much true in this world.
China has often disputed that its aid has no strings attached, but China’s aid is not driven by poverty concerns, but clear foreign policy and commercial objectives.
To conclude this piece, the Government of Israel has said that is ready to help the Solomon Islands in the health and agricultural sectors and I will look forward to being able to follow progress in both areas.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
