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© May 2002 Solomon Star
Photo legends clockwise from upper left: 1 Minister of Health and Medical Services Augustine Taneko and Sister Incharge OT Sr. Esther Boara cuts the ribbon to officially open the fracture clinic at the National Referral Hospital. 2 The some of the staff of the Orthopedic Department who attended the opening ceremony. 3 Hospital Chaplain blessing the inside of the fracture clinic. 4 & 5 Hospital staff entertaining the guests inside the new fracture clinic. 6 Some of the guests who attended the opening of the clinic examining some of the items used on people with fractured bones. 7 A guest pointing at the x-rays of fractured bones inside the new fracture clinic. 8 Some of the hospital staff looking at the pictures of the development of the fracture clinic. 9 Minister of Health and Medical Services Augustine Taneko and Acting Head of Surgical Department National Referral Hospital Dr Oberli.
The story begins with two Duch girls who after working at the National Referral Hospital went back to Switzerland with the aim to help raise funds for the much needed Fracture Clinic for the National Referral Hospital in Honiara. After some planning the girls invited all their friends to their house where they cook and their friends buy the food off them, at the end of the evening the girls raised SBD$30 thousand. But the story did not end here because with the help of Acting Head of Surgical Department Dr Hermann Oberli more support was given toward the project. And finally yesterday in front of 40 special guests the $250 million [a typo, it should be: thousand] Fracture Clinic was officially opened by the Minister of Health and Medical Services Augustine Taneko. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr Oberli said the idea to have a fracture clinic was initiated in 1994 when at the opening of the first section of the hospital it was found that there was no Fracture Clinic. "Because of no Fracture Clinic we have to use a room inside the operating theater." Dr Oberli said. He said the fully furnished and completed building only came about because of determination which was made a reality from the financial support from the Swiss Association and Dr Oberli's generous friends in Switzerland. However, he said while Solomon Isalnders were to be proud of the new building they should also look after the clinic. "This is how a clinic should look like in the 21st Century and it should be sustainable and maintainable," Dr Oberli said. He said in all the hospitals that he had visited the National Referral Hospital was the messiest. "This is the messiest hospital in the whole world so let's try and keep this place clean and tidy." He said the new Fracture Clinic should be an example to the staff, visitors and patients of what a hospital should look like. Medical Superintendent National Referral Hospital Dr Aaron Oritaimae thank Dr Oberli and his friends for the establishment of the Fracture Clinic. He said that it was very important that the hospital staff and the general public looked after the Fracture Clinic. "It is really sad because most of our buildings are donated, but we fail to neglect the fact that we have to look after them and ensure the premises are clean of betel-nut stains and other dirty habits," he said. He said completion of the Fracture Clinic is the first of the many renovation and construction programs which were planned for the National Referral Hospital. He said some of the areas which were currently been considered were for the extension of accident and emergency area, the need to move the physiotherapy to its own area and the need to renovate the operating theater. He said in terms of infrastructure plans were in progress for the development of a workshop and a multipurpose hall. "The plans for these two buildings are already in tender," Dr Oritaimae said. He said another area which the hospital is currently looking at seriously was the building of a sea wall to stop the sea line eroding up to the hospital premises. He said all this plans would depend on finance but its time people "get on and do it". The Fracture Clinic was funded by Swiss Association (South Pacific Medical Projects), Roger Haus Foundation, Friends of Regula Widmer-Kennel and of Sabina Hofer Switzerland. SOLOMON STAR - Tuesday 7 May, 2002 © May 2002 Solomon Star 
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