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01 Jul 2009 NRH gets new defibrillator [Solomon Star] The Government House First Lady’s Charity Fund has donated a new defibrillator to the National Referral Hospital. So far, the NRH has had two older defibrillators. 
02 Jul 2009 Second swine flu test negative [SIBC News] Test results from Australia showed that the expatriate quarantined at his residence in Honiara is also not carrying the novel A (H1N1) virus.
06 Jul 2009 Some Gizo health workers back at work [SIBC News] Some health workers at Gizo Hospital have returned to work after the government promised to deliberate their issue in Cabinet.
06 Jul 2009 Surgeons at NRH fed up with shortages [Solomon Star] Surgeons at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara are fed up with constantly having to put up with all kind of shortages. They say there is a shortage of anesthetics, of instruments such as blood pressure meters, of syringes, of cotton wool and most recently of linen to cover operating beds. Those shortages force the surgeons to postpone elective operations which in turn results in disgruntled patients blaming the doctors for the delays. Health authorities explained that some shortages were caused by a trans-shipment company going bankrupt last December. The linen shortage was caused by the breakdown of four washing machines which had been in use for 12 to 14 hours a day for the past 10 to 15 years. However, a new industrial washing machine and a dryer are currently being installed and two of the old machines are being repaired. Therefore, at least the linen shortage should be a thing of the past within a few days. On the average, about 200 operations are scheduled at the NRH every month.
09 Jul 2009 Dental department needs more equipment [Solomon Times] Presently, the Dental Department at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara has three dental chairs to treat patients: one for adults, one for children and one for fitting dentures. The department has about 60 patients a day and as the number keeps steadily increasing it will eventually need more chairs and equipment to meet the demand.
13 Jul 2009 More medical students to be sent to Cuba [Solomon Times] The government hopes it can send another 25 students to Cuba to start studying medicine there next year.
13 Jul 2009 Worth reading Primary Health Care, the way forward for Malaita Provincial Health published in Solomon Star (Viewpoint-Letters to the Editor, Monday, 13 July 2009).
13 Jul 2009 Strike causes serious problems at Gizo Hospital [SIBC News] The ongoing strike of health workers at Gizo Hospital is seriously affecting the hospital's operation. The few nurses at work try to give their best but find it increasingly difficult to cope with the constantly growing workload. Some of the nurses are reported to work three night shifts in a row and others to work 16 hours a day and take night calls. Acting Director of Western Province Health Services, Dr Günter Kittel, is appealing to striking workers to return to work. The doctors are not on strike. 17 Jul 2009 Update: A Cabinet paper addressing the matter is being prepared. The Ministers of Public Service and Health therefore call on all striking workers to return to work. 05 Aug 2009 Update [Solomon Star]: The Government has agreed to make ex gratia payments of SBD 15,000 to its workers in the Western Province who were affected by the 2007 tsunami.
24 Jul 2009 Homes for health workers [Solomon Star] The Ministry of Health has purchased 44 kit (prefabricated) homes for its health workers. Half of them were purchased under AusAID's Tsunami Relief Program, and the other half was funded by the government. Supplier of the kits is PNG Forest Products Ltd (PNGFP) in Lae, Papua New Guinea. The houses will be distributed as follows:
19 such kits have been purchased earlier:
Eventually, the Ministry intends to provide altogether some 200 houses in the provinces within the next five years.
24 Jul 2009 New health aid posts in Malaita [Solomon Star] Six remote communities in East Malaita (Taba'a, Gwanafau, Kaebia, Anomasu, Foubaba and Lalibaula) have received building materials worth SBD 50,000 to build their own health aid post and church. Once the buildings are completed, the communities will apply for nurses to serve there. Currently, the closest health aid post is in Nafinua, which is quite busy because it already serves more than five communities. The materials were provided under the East Malaita Constituency Micro Project funded by Taiwan.
24 Jul 2009 First two swine flu cases in Solomon Islands [Solomon Star] Two visiting Australian students (not medical students) tested positive for the novel influenza type A (H1N1). The students developed a mild influenza like illness a few days after their arrival in Honiara and were immediately isolated. Meanwhile, they have already returned home again. Those who were in contact with the students tested negative and no more suspected cases were recorded so far. The National Referral Hospital in Honiara has 12 beds for isolating patients and the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) could provide some 50 beds at their base in case of an outbreak.
29 Jul 2009 Psychiatric patients at Lata Hospital [Solomon Star] According to a nurse at the psychiatric department at Lata Hospital, the majority of the 17 mentally ill patients attended to this year are marijuana consumers, most of whom have been consuming the drug for the last few years. Other contributing factors are family break-ups, negligence by family members and partners and lack of education and employment opportunities. Most of the patients are adults. Lata Hospital does not have proper facilities to deal with severe cases of mentally ill persons and some patients have to be referred to Honiara . The only room used to admit psychiatric patients has been destroyed by a patient. People from remote locations in Temotu Province often do not seek mental health care services at Lata Hospital at all because of the long distances and corresponding transportation costs involved.
29 Jul 2009 Weather office organizes malaria workshop [Solomon Star] Tomorrow, a one day malaria workshop organized by the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service will take place in Honiara as part of the Pacific Islands Climate Prediction Project. One of the pilot projects aims to determine whether there is a relationship between the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and incidence of malaria in Solomon Islands. 02 Aug 2009 Update [SIBC News]: First results of the pilot project show that about 50% of malaria instances are climate related. Rainfall and temperature have a great influence on the instance of malaria and in Solomon Islands too much rain combined with steep and mountainous topography can flush out breeding grounds for mosquitoes. This means that a La Niña season with higher than normal rainfall could lead to less malaria cases than an El Niño season with less than normal rainfall. Therefore, using climate forecasts could help proactively manage and control malaria.
29 Jul 2009 Workshops on diabetes, hypertension and gout [Solomon Star] Four health workers from the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (KMUH) in Taiwan will hold three training workshops on diabetes, hypertension and gout at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara. The workshops start on August 4 and end on August 14. The number of cases of non-communicable diseases is steadily increasing in Solomon Islands. 13 Aug 2009 Update [SIBC]: More than 50 medical workers have completed the training. The participants came from Honiara, the provinces and church health centers. 16 Aug 2009 Update [SIBC]: Solomon Islanders are advised to reduce their intake of coconut cream and eat more local nuts instead. Coconut oil contains lots of saturated fat while many local nuts contain healthier monounsaturated fats. People are encouraged to eat more vegetables, fruits and fish but the latter should not be fried.
31 Jul 2009 Mobile phone number changes [SIBC News] Tomorrow, Solomon Telekom will change the mobile phone numbering system from five digits to seven digits. Dialing 5-digit mobile numbers will only work until October 31, 2009. Existing 5-digit mobile phone numbers get a 74 prefix. Landline numbers are not affected.
02 Aug 2009 Third swine flu case [SIBC News] A RAMSI officer, who arrived from Brisbane, Australia, last Thursday, tested positive for the novel influenza A (H1N1). He and 12 colleagues (one of them a suspected case) who traveled with him to Honiara are currently quarantined at RAMSI's Aspen Medical Center in Honiara. The Solomon Islands Swine Flu Task Force is appealing to all other passengers of last Thursday's Pacific Blue flight DJ-169 to contact medical authorities if they experience flu like symptoms. There were 128 passengers aboard the plane.
05 Aug 2009 Western Province health workers to get ex gratia payments [Solomon Star] See update of previous news item.
06 Aug 2009 Pacific Partnership 2009 mission visits Solomon Islands [Solomon Times] The US Pacific Partnership 2009 mission arrived in Honiara today and will offer free medical services at the following locations:
Services offered include primary care services, optometry (eye exams, glasses) and basic dental care (cleaning, examinations and extractions). 07 Aug 2009 Update [Solomon Star]: The Pacific Partnership 2009 includes some military and governmental personnel from Australia, Canada, Chile, Korea and the United States and Civilian volunteers from International Relief Teams, Project Hope and University of California San Diego Pre-Dental Society who will work alongside local nurses in the country. Additionally, Loloma Foundation and Interplast will accept surgical referrals. The Australian Defence Force also provides medical and engineering personnel and two landing crafts to help in the distribution of equipment and material.
07 Aug 2009 Worth reading The place and role of traditional medicine published in Solomon Star (Viewpoint-Letters to the Editor, Friday, 07 August 2009).
07 Aug 2009 New mini hospital on Vella Lavella [SIBC News] Students from the local Jones Adventist College will start working on the foundation of a new mini hospital at Boro village on North Vella Lavella (Western Province) this weekend. Villagers from the area will complete the construction of the building. A Seventh-day Adventist Church community in Australia provides financial support for the project.
10 Aug 2009 GAVI delegation visits Solomon Islands [SIBC News] A delegation from the GAVI Alliance is currently in Solomon Islands to get first hand information of the country's needs. After visiting Malaita Province, they visited Gizo Hospital, Kukundu Area Health Center and Ghatere Aid Post (both on Kolombangara) in the Western Province over the weekend. The pharmacy at Gizo Hospital is reportedly running low on vaccines. The delegation is led by GAVI Alliance CEO Dr Julian Lob-Levyt who once worked at Gizo Hospital.
12 Aug 2009 Lower malaria incidence in Western Province [SIBC News] Thanks to the anti-malaria program sponsored by Rotarians Against Malaria and the Global Fund, the malaria incidence rate in Western Province has dropped from more than 50 to 42.2 cases per 1,000 people.
20 Aug 2009 Renovation of maternity ward at Helena Goldie Hospital [Solomon Star] During their vacation, 14 senior construction students and four staff members from Shalom College in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, have refurbished the maternity ward at Helena Goldie Hospital in Munda (Western Province). They cleaned and repainted rooms, constructed additional shelves, installed a new toilet, a shower, a sink and a vanity basin and also did some general repairs.
21 Aug 2009 Worth reading Why lessen Coconut Cream? published in Solomon Star (Viewpoint-Letters to the Editor, Friday, 21 August 2009). A comment regarding a recent advice.
24 Aug 2009 First provincial HIV/Aids Counselling Site opened [Solomon Star] The first HIV/Aids Counselling Site in the provinces was opened at Helena Goldie Hospital in Munda (Western Province) last Friday. The site was funded by UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Helena Goldie Hospital. Furthermore, UNICEF funded a one week training on "Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV" at Helena Goldie Hospital. 13 nurses from Choiseul and Western Province attended and successfully completed the training organized by the National HIV/Aids Unit of the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the HIV/Aids program coordinator of Helena Goldie Hospital. The training package used is available here.
24 Aug 2009 Worth reading Another comment regarding the advice to reduce the coconut cream intake: Coconut oil in the diet published in Solomon Star (Viewpoint-Letters to the Editor, Monday, 24 August 2009).
26 Aug 2009 Worth reading US Pacific Partnership published in Solomon Star (Viewpoint-Letters to the Editor, Wednesday, 26 August 2009).
27 Aug 2009 Web links of interest In a letter to the editor published in Solomon Star (Viewpoint-Letters to the Editor, Coconut benefits, Thursday, 27 August 2009), Dr Judson Leafasia points out and cites a web site with information about the health benefits of coconut products: www.coconut-info.com. The Coconut Research Center also provides a web site with information on the health and nutritional aspects of coconut and palm products.
03 Sep 2009 Vaccination campaign in Makira Ulawa Province [Solomon Star] Nurses are currently visiting villages throughout Makira Ulawa Province to vaccinate children and update medical records. The eight-week campaign is part of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to reduce measles, tetanus, polio and tuberculosis among children.
07 Sep 2009 Malaysian Consul-General supports hospitals [Solomon Times] The Malaysian Honorary Consul-General to Solomon Islands, Mr Hii Yii Ging, has organized a fund-raising event during the celebration of Malaysia's 52nd Independence Anniversary at the Golf Club in Honiara. The event was supported by prominent Malaysians working and living in Solomon Islands. The collected funds were distributed as follows:
10 Sep 2009 TV and DVD player to entertain waiting patients at NRH [Solomon Star] Thanks to several donations, patients are now entertained by DVDs and a TV while they are waiting at the Emergency Department at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara .
15 Sep 2009 Makira Ulawa to get new hospital [Solomon Times] Makira Ulawa Province should eventually get a new hospital to replace the aging Kirakira Hospital, which cannot be expanded because it is located right in the center of Kirakira. The proposed new 100 bed hospital will cost about SBD 20 million and serve as the Eastern Referral Hospital for Makira Ulawa and Temotu provinces.
15 Sep 2009 New 24h children clinic [Solomon Star] Work on a new 24 hour children clinic in Mataniko (Honiara) has started. The 10 bed clinic should be completed by March 2010. Funds for the SBD 1 million project are provided by NZAID and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum in partnership with the Honiara City Council.
15 Sep 2009 New cancer registry for NRH [Solomon Star] The Government House First Lady's Charity Fund will fund a new cancer registry at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara. See earlier news item. So far, no formal cancer registry has existed in Solomon Islands.
15 Sep 2009 Loloma Foundation medical team completes tour [Solomon Star] A medical team from Loloma Foundation has successfully completed another tour in Solomon Islands. See earlier news item. In the past two weeks, they saw almost 2,000 patients in Central, Western, and Guadalcanal provinces.
22 Sep 2009 National measles campaign [SIBC News] A National Integrated Measles Campaign has been launched throughout the country on Monday. It aims to cover 95% of the country's children under five years of age compared to the 60% coverage in 2006. The campaign includes vitamin A and worm medicine treatments and will end by mid October. Measles was last recorded in Solomon Islands in 1994.
22 Sep 2009 Medicals teams from Australia [Solomon Star] A volunteer orthopedics team from Australia (two orthopedists, a theater nurse, and an occupational therapist) spent a week at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara NRH to conduct complex surgical operations on patients with fractures and deformities (altogether about 15 to 20 cases). Yesterday, an urology team arrived from Australia. They will also work at NRH.
22 Sep 2009 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons donates books [Solomon Star] The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has donated books worth around SBD 10,000 to the library of the National Referral Hospital in Honiara.
23 Sep 2009 A&E Unit at NRH gets refurbished [Solomon Star] The Accident and Emergency Unit at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara is currently being refurbished. Funds of about SBD 3 million are provided by AusAID and World Bank. Meanwhile, some local doctors are temporarily working at Honiara City Clinics to attend to patients, a make-shift tent has been set up for outpatients, and the eye clinic has been relocated until the work has been finished, hopefully by the end of the year.
23 Sep 2009 Balolava Clinic gets renovated [Solomon Star] Eight volunteers from Warrnambool and Wantirna Seventh-Day Adventist churches in Australia are here for three weeks to renovate the Balolava Clinic on the Weathercoast of Guadalcanal. The will repair the roof and water supply system, repaint the buildings and install a solar energy system. See also page 12 of IntraVic/Victorian Conference News /December 2009.
28 Sep 2009 Successful visit [Solomon Star] Last Saturday, the Australian urology team (an urologist, an anesthetist, a nurse and an administrative officer) left Solomon Islands after having performed 14 successful operations.
08 Oct 2009 New HIV/AIDS case [Solomon Star] Solomon Islands has recorded one new HIV/AIDS case this year, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 13. 12 were detected by voluntary testing, and one was detected in the course of other tests. See also earlier news item.
10 Oct 2009 News from the Eye Department at NRH [SIBC News] Up to 40 eyes have to be removed at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara every year due to injuries or eye diseases. A new laboratory (sponsored by AusAID) at the Blind Services Department of NRH will start producing eyeglasses locally by the end of this year. So far, eyeglasses have been imported.
20 Oct 2009 Help by Cuban doctors not yet up to expectations [RNZI News] The Cuban doctors in Solomon Islands speak little English and have difficulties communicating with patients. For the same reason, they do not yet work shifts and serve on-call duty. However, the Cubans are now learning pidgin and therefore the situation should improve soon. A Cuban dermatologist is expected to arrive soon.
21 Oct 2009 Japanese malaria project to end soon [Solomon Star] The Project for Strengthening of Malaria Control, started by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2007, will end by mid-December this year. 200 nurses and 86 microscopists in Honiara-City and Guadalcanal Province have been trained in basic epidemiology, data collection, and analysis. Teaching materials have been created and continue to be used at the Nursing School at the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE).
21 Oct 2009 Ministry of Health warns of anti-malaria drug [SIBC News] The Ministry of Health has warned the public of Artemedine, an anti-malaria drug sold at several private outlets in Honiara. Artemedine contains Artemether, only, and is not as effective as Coartem which contains Artemether and Lumefantrine. Coartem is the WHO recommended treatment and is available at all public clinics, NRH and some private pharmacies and clinics.
02 Nov 2009 Effectiveness of free condoms questioned [RNZI News] The distribution of free condoms does not seem to have much of an effect on the birth rate or spreading of sexually transmitted infections. The free condoms are very popular but it is not clear how many are actually used as intended. Perhaps because they are free they are not valued and more education on the importance of their use may be needed.
03 Nov 2009 Germany donates vehicle [SIBC News] Germany has donated a Toyota RAV4, worth around SBD 170,000, to the Blind Services Department at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara.
05 Nov 2009 Parasite Screening and Prevention continued [Solomon Star] A four member medical team from Taiwan has arrived to follow up an earlier visit this year. They will further examine students found to be parasite infected in May and provide the necessary medication. The team also intends to examine and educate students in Auki (Malaita Province) and Savo (Central Province). The team will leave Solomon Islands on November 13. 16 Nov 2009 Update [SIBC, Solomon Star] The team has seen around 800 people (mostly students and children) and collected 120 stool specimens showing a high prevalence of intestinal parasites.
10 Nov 2009 Taiwan donates equipment [Solomon Star] Taiwan has donated medical equipment worth more than SBD 1 million to the National Referral Hospital in Honiara. NRH has received a new biochemistry analyzer (for blood tests), a new anesthesia machine, a defibrillator, and other diagnostic devices and supplies.
18 Nov 2009 Malu'u Clinic's labor ward to get solar lighting [SIBC News] Malu'u Clinic's labor ward in northern Malaita Province will get solar lighting next year. The clinic has been without electricity for months.
20 Nov 2009 Israel donates supplies [Solomon Star] Israel has donated 98 cartons of diabetes insulin syringes to the National Referral Hospital in Honiara.
24 Nov 2009 Another 25 students to go to Cuba [Solomon Star] Next week, another 25 students will finally travel to Cuba to study medicine. Their departure has been delayed by about two months, because the money sent from Iran to pay for the student's air fares was returned by ANZ bank in Honiara to avoid violating sanctions against Iran.
30 Nov 2009 Japan funds staff houses in Temotu Province [Solomon Star] Japan provides SBD 754,000 for the construction of four medical staff houses, one each at the following locations: Lata Hospital, Nea Aid Post, Akaboi Aid Post, and Neo Aid Post in Temotu Province.
02 Dec 2009 US medical team visits Marovo Lagoon area again [Solomon Star] As announced last June, an US medical team has come back to the Marovo Lagoon area again, to continue their work at Seghe Hospital and nearby clinics by offering free medical services and helping improve health facilities. They will stay for two weeks.
09 Dec 2009 Atoifi Hospital's generator working again [Solomon Star] The hydro power generator, which has been refurbished in New Zealand, is finally back in place and supplying Atoifi Hospital (Malaita Province) with continuous electric power again.
11 Dec 2009 Foulofo Health Center gets solar hot water system [Solomon Star] A local business man has donated a 160-liter Chromagen solar hot water system worth SBD 18,000 to the Foulofo Health Center in East Malaita.
11 Dec 2009 Japan funds staff houses for Gizo Hospital [Solomon Star] Japan provides SBD 754,000 for the construction of three medical staff houses at Gizo Hospital (Western Province). Most hospital staff are currently living in rented homes because the 2007 tsunami had destroyed the original staff houses.
11 Dec 2009 Visit of Korean eye team [Solomon Star] An eye team (one eye doctor and seven nurses) from Good People International based in Seoul, Korea, is currently working at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara. They are here for three days and expect to perform 60 to 70 cataract operations.
15 Dec 2009 Higher number of malaria cases forecast [Solomon Star] According to the local weather office, a mature El Niño condition will continue to dominate the weather in the region, which usually means higher temperatures and less rainfall than average in Solomon Islands. According to a recent study this could result in a higher number of malaria cases in the peak infection period from January to May.
22 Dec 2009 Japan funds upgrade of Susubona Health Center [Solomon Star] Japan has provided more than SBD 600,000 for upgrading Susubona Health Center in southern Isabel Province.
22 Dec 2009 Plans to convert Naha Clinic into a mini hospital [Solomon Star] The Honiara City Council is planning to convert the Naha Clinic into a mini hospital to complement the National Referral Hospital in disaster situations. (E.g. in case of a tsunmai warning NRH has to be evacuated.)
29 Dec 2009 The end of power problems in Malu'u? [Solomon Star] Landowners and the provincial government have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the Malu'u hydro power station in northern Malaita. The provincial government has agreed to upgrade the power station and pay the landowners for the use of water. However, if nothing is done within the next two months, the landowners will shut off the water supply again.
31 Dec 2009 Worth reading The Committee Report (1.5MB pdf file) by the Special Select Committee into the Quality of Medical Services provided at the National Referral Hospital. A quote from the foreword: In this report, the Committee presents significant and concerning evidence regarding the parlous state of the National Referral Hospital. It is quite simply, at the current time, a national disgrace. The Committee strongly urges the Government to take urgent steps to address this.
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