Nearly a year without health & medical services, people of Sikaiana are desperately pleading authorities
[Published on Saturday, August 16, 2025]
BY CHRIS ALEX
As Malaita province celebrates its 42nd anniversary, its people on the outlier atoll of Sikaiana are about to mark a year without health-medical services.
A year without a nurse and the 400-plus people on the remote atolls, mostly children and elderly, are reiterating their plea to authorities not to forget them.
The last nurse left Sikaiana before October in 2024.
Since then, many calls have been made for a replacement. These calls turned to pleas. Still, authorities are sitting on this problem.
Member of Provincial Assembly for Malaita’s Ward 33 (Sikaiana) Lemuel Kevianga is amplifying his people’s call, urging responsible authorities not to turn a blind eye to his people.
Kevianga, who is also Malaita province’s finance minister, said already two emergency medical cases have had to be evacuated by helicopter from Sikaiana.
“These emergency situations could have been avoided if Sikaiana had a nurse to treat the patients in their early stages of disease,” Kevianga said.
He adds that it is an expensive exercise to airlift emergency cases, straining their limited budget.
Speaking to Island Sun, Kevianga emphasised the urgency of the matter.
“Our people are in dire need of professional care. I urge the responsible health authorities to take swift action and resolve this issue as quickly as possible,” he said.
In response to Kevianga’s calls, Richard Maegerea, Malaita’s health director, assured that efforts were underway to address the situation.
He acknowledged the logistical challenges of deploying a nurse to such an isolated part of the country.
“We are working hard to resolve this issue. We’re not reluctant to send a nurse to Sikaiana.
“Discussions with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services are ongoing, and we are also awaiting new recruits that can be dispatched to the island,” Maegerea said.
The health crisis has been compounded by the fact that the last nurse stationed on the island left before October in 2024, just last year, leaving the atoll without medical support for nearly a year.
Since then, Sikaiana’s residents have had to face the harsh reality of limited healthcare options, relying on herbals and costly airlifts for emergency cases.
As local leaders and residents continue to voice their concerns, the situation remains critical.
The call for immediate action grows louder, with the Sikaiana community hoping for a prompt and effective resolution to the healthcare crisis.
For feedback, contact:[email protected]
