Visitor MD0402 
| Visitor |
| Sex? |
male |
| Profession/occupation? |
MD, GP in a small hospital |
| Home country? |
Switzerland |
| What made you want to go to
Solomon Islands? |
my previous visit; first visit: reading an article |
| Arriving in Solomon
Islands |
| When did you arrive in Solomon
Islands? |
October 2004 |
| Did you encounter any
bureaucratic difficulties? |
no |
| What was your first impression
after arrival? |
no change since my last visit 1.5 years ago |
| Living in Solomon
Islands |
| What did positively surprise
you? |
the law and order situation, the friendliness of the
people, the warm reception by the Ministry of Health |
| What did negatively surprise
you? |
[-] |
| What took longest to get used
to? |
the culture that does not allow you to say to someone's
face what annoys you |
| What did you miss most in
Solomon Islands? |
chocolate and biscuits |
| What should you have brought
along? |
a notebook computer, some antibiotics which are not
available in Solomon Islands |
| What did you do to prevent
malaria? |
repellent, knockdown spray in the house |
| Place and province where you
spent most of your time? |
Auki, Malaita Province |
| Other places/provinces where
you stayed? |
[-] |
| Where did you stay? |
in a furnished house |
| How long did you stay at each
location? |
6 months |
| How much did you pay for
each? |
the house was provided by Health Services |
| Where did you usually eat? |
at home, lunch often at stands in front of the hotel |
| What did you typically pay for
a normal meal? |
[-] |
| What local food/beverage did
you like most? |
all vegetables and fruits; as far as possible, we tried
to live on local market produce |
| What local food/beverage did
you like least? |
bread |
| Working in Solomon
Islands |
| How did you usually go to
work? |
some walking and by bus |
| Where did you work? |
Kilu'ufi Hospital |
| What was your occupation? |
chief consultant and surgeon |
| What were your working days and
hours? |
8:15am to about 5pm |
| What was particularly difficult
in regard to your work? |
cross-cultural misunderstandings |
| Did you feel accepted by the
locals? |
yes |
| What did you usually do in your
spare time after work? |
spending time with my family, reading, writing |
| Leaving Solomon Islands and
looking back |
| When did you leave Solomon
Islands? |
April 2005 |
| How long was your stay? |
6 months |
| How do you judge the length of
your stay? |
too short |
| What did you learn from the
locals? |
control yourself and stay polite even if someone annoys
you |
| Your advice to prospective
visitors? |
before you go, talk to someone who spent some time in
Solomon Islands, stay open-minded. Solomon Islands does not
need do-gooders, they will show you what they expect from
you. |
| What did you miss most when
back at home again? |
the daily work |
| What did you enjoy most when
back at home again? |
the food and the cooler climate |
| Would you go back for another
stay? |
Anytime! |
| Estimated total cost of your
stay (including travel costs)? |
CHF 15,000 (for myself, my wife and two children); the
local wage just about covered the cost of living (vaccation
not included) |
| Additional comments? |
Of several tropical countries I have visited as a doctor
so far, Solomon Islands was the most tranquil and the one I
liked best. |
