BY NED GAGAHE
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has called for immediate steps to expand medical services at the newly opened Konide Area Health Centre (AHC), including the posting of a full-time medical doctor to serve Southern Isabel.
Speaking yesterday during the official handing over and opening of the facility, the Prime Minister said the new AHC must not only provide basic services, but also bring critical care closer to isolated communities who have long struggled with delays in referrals to Buala Provincial Hospital.
“The Buala Hospital is very far and that has contributed to delays in patient referrals, some of whom resulted in adverse health outcomes for patients on this side of the province,” the PM said.
He urges the Isabel Provincial Health Services and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) to prioritise assigning a medical officer to Konide, saying this would save lives and reduce the need for long and costly travel to Buala or Honiara.
The Prime Minister also recommended that additional specialists, including dentists and other health professionals, be added to the facility’s staffing to ensure equity in access to essential health services for the people of Southern Isabel.
Manele said the Konide AHC is aligned with the government’s Role Delineation Policy, which aims to expand services normally available only in hospitals to rural communities. He emphasised that his government is committed to upgrading rural health infrastructure and improving service delivery across the country.
As the Member of Parliament for Hograno-Kia-Havulei Constituency, the PM said he wants people of Konide and surrounding communities to “have access to quality and improved health care,” noting the new facility will play a vital role in advancing universal health coverage in the province.
The Konide AHC is the second health facility opened in Isabel Province this week, following Wednesday’s launch of the new Deva Rural Health Clinic.
During the ceremony, the PM also acknowledged MHMS leadership for prioritising Konide in its development budget, thanked the Isabel Provincial Government for its ongoing support, and commended Solomon Sheet Steel Ltd for what he described as a “high standard of workmanship” in constructing the new facility.
Manele appealed to the community to look after the new centre, saying its long-term sustainability depends on continued cooperation and respect for the facility and its staff.
He then declared the Konide Area Health Centre officially open.
Photo: Press Secretariat, OPMC
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