By Loretta B Manele

The roads in Honiara are a disaster thus the MID (Ministry of Infrastructure and Development) permanent secretary and his team of engineers have been called to step up.

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele raised this at the PM’s Breakfast- “Catalysing economic growth through an empowered private sector, creating an enabling environment” event hosted by SICCI (Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry) at the Heritage Park hotel yesterday.

He expressed that roads in Honiara are a disaster and there is no other way to put it.

Manele voiced that we keep on fixing these roads every time it rains for the last five years yet there is no improvement.

He said since 2022 up to 2024, we have spent around $84 million in maintaining Honiara roads, an amount coming from the recurrent budget and National Transport Fund.

Manele stressed that apparently, the existing system we are using to maintain our roads is not working.

“The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Infrastructure Development and his team of engineers need to step up, address this issue and treat it as an emergency. There needs to be proper monitoring and evaluation of work done.

The Public Works Department must be re-established. We have the political will to do this but unfortunately, there is not much traction from the technical people.”

Manele also called on the Road Transport Board to seek solutions to address issues facing Honiara road transport as well.

“I understand the SICCI is also a member of the Road Transport Board with Honiara City Council, Commissioner of Police, Chief Mechanical Engineer of MID, representatives from the bus and taxi association and Permanent Secretaries.

We need to identify the problems and address them.”

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BY NED GAGAHE

Minister of Health and Medical Services Dr. Paul Bosawai says that the Naha Birthing and Urban Health Centre, once completed, will lessen and ease the burden at the National Referral Hospital.

Minister Bosawai, together with Australia’s Ambassador for Global Health Dr. Lucas de Toca, visited the centre yesterday during his official visit to the Solomon Islands. The delegation toured the construction works, which are employing nearly 100 local workers, as the building reaches the milestone of being halfway completed.

Minister Bosawai said he was impressed by the progress being made towards the new SBD 250m/AUD 45m health centre.

“The birthing facility center once completed, will lessen and ease the burden at the National Referral Hospital (NRH). The pressure on beds at the current birthing ward at NRH is always extremely high. There are 10 recovery beds in the labour ward. So, if the labour ward has about 18 deliveries per day on average, bed occupancy would, of course, become a huge challenge.

“In 2023, the bed occupancy rate was 126%. Given such challenging situations, mothers should stay at least 24 hours at the hospital upon delivery, but due to the lack of space, mothers are usually discharged eight hours after giving birth. This is very risky for both mothers and babies, as sometimes either the mothers or babies will develop other illnesses while at home. Space limitations at the NRH are a challenge, especially as the population grows at an annual rate of 2.8%.”

“Given the bigger catchment of population in East Honiara, this state-of-the-art birthing unit will accommodate the high demand for health services and provide high-quality service to the surrounding communities here, and the country as a whole,” said Dr. Bosawai.

He acknowledged and thanked the Australian Government for funding the multi-million-dollar project.

During the tour, the VIPs met with nursing staff and health officials to hear about the intensive health planning underway to ensure the centre is equipped and ready to commence service delivery when the facility opens.

Dr. de Toca, who oversees Australia’s regional and global development assistance in health, said the scale and quality of the building is impressive.

“I’m equally impressed by the level of partnership between Australia and Solomon Islands’ health officials to ensure the centre is fitted out with high-quality, fit-for-purpose equipment, with staff fully trained and ready to see patients when it opens early next year,” Dr. de Toca said.

“There is obviously a lot of hard work, care, and collaboration being undertaken by both governments, which will ultimately save lives and improve health outcomes for Solomon Islanders, particularly mothers and babies.”

Australia’s High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, His Excellency Rod Hilton, said the health centre remained a top priority for the Solomon Islands-Australia Partnership.

“What both our governments want is sustainable, high-quality care delivered every day to the people of Solomon Islands,” High Commissioner Hilton said.

“Australia understands the need to deliver this world-class health facility without cutting corners, to deliver high-quality, locally led, and fully fitted-out infrastructure that is built to last.”

The new facility includes a large urban health clinic and a low-risk birthing centre with five delivery suites, seventeen short-stay beds, an operating theatre, and clinical support services. The centre will provide birthing, ante and post-natal care services for women, as well as dental, pathology, x-ray, ultrasound, and pharmacy services for the community.

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BY NED GAGAHE

The Minister for Health and Medical Services, Paul Bosawai, was joined by Australia’s Ambassador for Global Health, Dr. Lucas de Toca, on a visit to the Naha Birthing and Urban Health Centre, East of Honiara, yesterday morning.

The delegation toured the construction works, which are employing nearly 100 local workers as the building reaches the milestone of being halfway completed.

The Naha Birthing & Urban Health Centre, worth SBD250 million (AUD45 million), is still under construction but has already impressed both Minister Bosawai and Ambassador de Toca with its ongoing progress.

Once completed, the facility will not only benefit the residents of Naha but will also serve people from other provinces.

The new centre is set to provide a new benchmark for health care in the Solomon Islands.

The centre will offer new mothers and mothers-to-be access to the very best pre and post-natal care, giving the next generation of Solomon Islanders the very best start possible and easing the pressure on the National Referral Hospital.

Minister Bosawai shared that in Solomon Islands’ culture, many individuals travel to urban centers to live with relatives while seeking access to specialized health care, particularly during labor and delivery.

He expressed his gratitude for the project, acknowledging that the new facility would bring much-needed improvements to maternal and child health services.

“I am confident that once completed, the Naha Birthing Centre will not only serve the residents of Naha but will also support the wider population of Solomon Islands,” Minister Bosawai said.

He also extended his thanks to the people and government of Australia for their support in making this project possible.

“This is a significant physical change in the health infrastructure of Solomon Islands,” he said, referencing the project’s launch with the Australian Deputy Prime Minister.

Minister Bosawai further acknowledged Dr. Lucas de Toca’s visit and praised the contractor, Reeves, for their excellent work in the construction of the centre.

“Today, we have witnessed significant progress. As the Minister for Health, I can confidently say that this facility will continue to save lives, improving health outcomes for many in Solomon Islands,” he concluded.

Dr. de Toca, who oversees Australia’s regional and global health development assistance, expressed admiration for the scale and quality of the building.

“I’m equally impressed by the strong collaboration between Australia and Solomon Islands’ health officials to ensure the centre is equipped with high-quality, purpose-built equipment, and that staff are fully trained and prepared to serve patients when it opens early next year,” Dr. de Toca stated.

“There is clearly a tremendous amount of dedication, effort, and teamwork from both governments, which will ultimately save lives and enhance health outcomes for Solomon Islanders, especially mothers and babies.”

The project is expected to be completed early next year.

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By Loretta B Manele

The International Women’s Day program kicked off on high note at the National Museum Auditorium yesterday.

This year’s theme for the three-day program is “Accelerate Action; For all women and girls. Rights, Equality and Empowerment”.

The program started with a word of prayer, a moment of silence to respect women who paved the way for others through their work and sacrifices and then guests delivered their speeches.

Speeches for the first day of the program were delivered by Kristina Sogavare, Vice President of NCW, Rod Hilton, Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and finally, Freda Tuki, minister for Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) who officially opened the program.

There were also a number of stalls set up that either sold local delicious food or beautiful handmade accessories and locally themed clothes.

Women from different organizations and offices turned up to join the celebration.

They represented Rove Correctional Services, Telekom, Tourism Solomons, Public Service, Ports and Solomon Water to name a few.

A live band performing a number of songs was also a highlight of the day.

The event will continue until Thursday this week.

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By Loretta B Manele

There are certain essential perspectives that are key for growth in the community when it comes to uplifting women.

Kristina Sogavare, the Vice President for National Council of Women (NCW) highlighted this when she delivered her speech at the International Women’s Day event at the National Museum Auditorium yesterday.

She stressed that we have to look at actions that will uplift and include women in the community and encouragement for girls in the classroom.

Sogavare pointed out that this involves ensuring that women are given voices inside their communities such as in meetings and as teachers, making sure that girls are encouraged and inspired to pursue non-traditional career paths.

She said these are perspectives that are essential for growth in the community.

Sogavare went on to include policy makers.

“Policy makers and legislators, examine your work. Are your policies just and equitable for women in this nation?

Are you supporting initiatives to ensure gender equality such as reserved seating for women in parliaments and provincial assemblies?”

Sogavare said if we fail to honour and value women, we are failing to respect the very beings that brought us into the world.

In relation, she expressed that as women and girls, each day in every decision we make, we must ask ourselves if we are appreciating, respecting and honouring ourselves.

“To women of Solomon Islands, I say, you are the heartbeat of this nation. You are our strength. You are our resilience. You are our strong community.

You are the very reasons generations continue. Despite the challenges you face, you rise stronger and wiser and more determined than ever. So today we celebrate you.”

She stated that the National Council of Women pledges to work with stakeholders in this country and the government of Solomon Islands to create a world where women and girls are safe, valued and empowered.

Sogavare noted that we must remember that leadership and inclusion go hand in hand.

“By empowering women to lead and ensuring every single voice is heard, we can create a future where equality is not just a dream. It will become a reality.

On this International Women’s Day, let us stand together, united in our commitment to gender equality and empowerment for all women.”

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