DEAR EDITOR, the elections are coming up and as a member of the Shortlands Constituency I wish to raise the following questions to the current Member of Parliament with regard to constituency matters and funds that are channelled through him as our Member of Parliament in the name of Shortlands constituency.

Shipping Grant

I call on the Member of Parliament for Shortlands constituency to explain to the people of   Shortlands constituency the status of the ship for Shortlands constituency.

In 2016, the constituency was given $4,000,000 for the purchase of buying a ship for the constituency. To date, there is no constituency ship serving the people of Shortlands constituency. According to the information people in the constituency have, it is alleged that the Member of Parliament for Shortlands constituency used the $4,000,000.00 to buy an old ship of Hon Steve Abana, the MV Malulata.

I am calling on the MP to please explain to the people of Shortlands the real story about the shipping grant and why buy an old ship and what happened to the $4 million of the taxpayers and when will Shortland have the ship. It is only fair that we do know before the election.

Questionable use of RCDF

I call on the Member of Parliament for Shortlands constituency to explain to the people of the constituency how he used the CDF. There are many outboard engines being delivered but no canoes. The engines are very powerful ones and inconvenient in most cases and require fuel.

We want the MP to explain how he has used the Shortlands constituency’s RCDF.

Constituency Development Officer’s Mansion in Tuvaruhu

I call on the CDO to explain to the people of Shortlands how he is able to build such a big mansion with his salary. We would like to know how he acquired money to build that expensive house, given that his salary would understandably not be able to afford it. Did he loan for the capital.

I call on the police to investigate how and where he got the money from to build the house.

This is the reason why we support the inclusion of unexplained wealth in the Anti-Corruption Act to deal with people who suddenly become wealthy especially when they have access to the CDF as in this case.

Expensive Cars and Expensive Overseas Trips of the MP’s wife

I call on the MP to explain to the people where the money come from to fund the frequent overseas trips that the MP’s wife makes to Australia, Fiji etc and how they own three very expensive vehicles.

The salary of the MP is not enough to pay for these so the MP needs to explain so that we are assured the funds used to purchase these do not come from funds allocated through him for the constituencies. I call on responsible authorities to investigate this because it is not fair on the constituency and the tax payers if this is how CDF has been used by the MP.

I call on the MP to make all his retirement for the 9th and 10th Parliament available to the people of the constituency.

Derick Pako

Honiara

DEAR EDITOR, a quote I believe people of all ages in the Solomon Islands should consider while striving to increase their own health and quality of life and that of their loved ones.

We have all been pre-occupied and worried over the recent shortages of medicine at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) and clinics but have we ever paused to think how a lack of proper nutrition is putting a significant burden on the public health system through associated non-communicable diseases and contributing to the use of imported medicines to combat diseases that are often preventable with a proper diet?

Currently, it is understood more than 90% of Solomon Islanders aren’t eating enough fruit and vegetables, substituting instead, imported foods high in fat content and sugar, leading to increasing levels of obesity, diabetes, associated blindness, hypertension (blood pressure), strokes, and high levels of nutritional deficiency.

It is considered by the health authorities that the people should move away from the standard diet of rice, noodles and bread and eat more balanced diets with plenty of local body-building (fish and legumes), as well as eating ‘protective’ foods (fruit and vegetables).

The Solomon Islands Chief Nutrition Officer has been pushing for better nutrition education in schools and staff from the Embassy of the Republic of China (ROC) has also been giving extended nutritional advice to selected community groups.

The relevance of all this is important when one reads that the World Health Organisation (WHO) figures show one third of children in the Solomon Islands are stunted due to chronic malnutrition and almost half of under five year olds are anaemic.

Children need to learn the importance of choosing healthy foods so when they grow up, they can make informed decisions on what to eat and how they can live healthy.

Let me close by saying I perceive with the growing NCD burdens in the Solomon Islands, combined with modest economic growth, it will inevitably further squeeze the Ministry of Health and Medical Services MOHMS) development budgets unless urgent action is taken now to step up the giving of nutritional advice to all communities with a sustained education programme.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

DEAR EDITOR, the National Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr John Hue said, recently, the country’s top causes for blindness and visual impairment is cataracts.

He said, “The top causes of blindness and visual impairment in the Solomon Islands in the age group of 40 years and above are cataracts meaning clouding of the natural lens in the eye.

Other leading causes are refractive errors, he added.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO } 81 percent of all people who are blind or have moderate to severe vision impairment are aged 50 years and above. With an increasing population of older people, WHO has stated that more people will be at risk of vision impairment due to chronic eye diseases.

Dr Hue advised people in the Solomon Island, especially those over 40 and those suffering from diabetes, as well as all those having vision difficulties, to have regular eye checks, at least once a year to see if glasses are needed.

Source: Quoting extracts from the Island Sun newspaper.

Solomon Islands is not alone when having to deal with blindness and impaired vision.

In neighbouring Papua New Guinea (PNG) the government there recently signed a new agreement with the Fred Hollows Foundation in New Zealand.

The agreement outlines commitments to ensure all people have access to high quality eye care, provided by a skilled local eye care workforce in a supportive healthcare environment.

The Fred Hollows Foundation has operated in PNG over the last 11 years and helped to train 86 specialist eye care nurses to provide community care and to help PNG address the burden of blindness.

Very sadly, PNG has the highest rate of blindness and vision impairment in the Pacific. “One in eighteen adults over 50-years-old are blind and women are more likely to be blind than men.

Given the latest revelations about the state of blindness and impaired vision in the Solomon Islands and especially as it seems that blindness can be prevented if cataracts are diagnosed and removed earlier enough, I strongly urge the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) to see whether the Fred Hollows Foundation, such a worthy charity, can aid eye care and treatment in the Solomon Islands on a similar basis as is now being done in PNG.

Over the past two years, Lions Clubs in New Zealand has given the National Referral Hospital in Honiara 6000 pairs of spectacles, at my request, and Take My Hands Charity Trust with help from the SFA freighted the several boxes of spectacles to Honiara.

I am especially indebted to Lions Clubs (NZ), to my partner charity Take My Hands and to the Solomons SFA for everything they have done to help those having impaired vision throughout the Solomon Islands.

It is my wish that more will be done by all those committed to relieve and to overcome the burden of blindness which, from what Dr Hue said, could be prevented if cataracts could be removed in the early stages.

Finally, I extend my appreciation of the work being done in eye care and treatment by the Honiara National Referral Hospital.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

DEAR EDITOR, as the 2018 academic year has approaching its end, I as the President outgoing of SISA, On Behalf of the Solomon Islands Student Association here in Fiji, wish to convey our sincere gratitude and acknowledgement to the government of the day and especially the Minister of Education, the PS, the hard working staffs of NTU, the Minister of finance, His PS and Staffs for Prioritising the allowance and welfare of our students studying here in the various institutions in Fiji.

This year 2018 has begun with many challenges and especially the financial hardship our country is facing.

The allowance delay of students is an ongoing issue that students faced year in year out.

All we can see in the media when it comes to allowance issue was us complaining.

However, upon commencement of the 2nd semester 2018, there has been a huge twist which despite the unstable financial difficulties our country is facing, the two ministries has opt to prioritised our students in facilitating the allowance on time.

It was indeed a new turn as all allowance has been paid right on the first day of each month.

Which really motivates students to strive more on what we are sent here for.

Therefore, we wish to give all credit to the two Ministries and also the hardworking tax payers of Solomon Islands for your hard earned money which was spent on our cause.

We believe one day we will come back and join you all in serving our country and continue on where all of you have left.

With that said, Thank you Solomon Island Citizen and thank you SIG

Former SISA President

Lawrence Ini Kopuria