REPATRIATION OF SICK PATIENTS - POLICY CHANGES ANNOUNCED

NRH changes sea-fare policy

Quoting the Solomon Star newspaper – 23 May 2018

“THE National Referral Hospital (NRH) as of this week won’t be responsible for the repatriation of sick patients being referred from the provinces.

“This means payment of seafares by NRH account department to sick patients being discharged from the hospital will cease. However, all payments will be handled by the provincial health services.

“This was announced by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Steve Aumanu during a press conference recently.

“The cost of inward and return sea travel by all referred patients from the provinces to NRH will be transferred to the Provincial Health Services.”

“He explained the decision was made through the NRH consultants after discussing the case in depth with the referring provincial medical officers and endorsed by the NRH medical Superintendent and approved by PS Ministry of Health and Medical Services MHMS).

“After a review and an internal audit of the process, it is recommended that this service is shifted from NRH Finance Office to the offices of all Directors of Provincial Health Service,” he said.

“Dr Aumanu said the reasons are to minimize pressure on NRH accounts section, Ministry of Finance and Treasury payment process and to avoid withdrawing of huge sums of hard cash.

“He said, every two weeks per payment, NRH kept about $100,000 hard cash which is at risk of fraud and theft.

“He said the other reasons are to avoid patients gathering at the NRH accounts department waiting for their sea-fares, save time for NRH to do other accounting tasks and provide better management monitoring of referred patients by Directors of Provincial Health Services.

“The NRH CEO highlighted, in 2017 the total referred patient repatriated was 4557 which cost SBD$3.7 million.

“He also added, last year NRH also spent $1.5 million for Helicopter charters for emergency cases need to be flown to Honiara for treatment.

“This is very expensive and should be always be authorised in advance by NRH consultants,” he said.

“He said the MHMS and NRH will continue to maintain responsibility for Emergency Provincial Hospitals referrals to NRH but not for sea fares.

“This means that, the cost of inward and return sea travel by all referred patients to NRH for treatment will be the responsibility of the office of the Director of Provincial Health Services,” he said.

“Dr Aumanu said the referred patient’s sea fares budget from the government is now being transferred to the provincial health finance departments to manage for this purpose.

“He said, a set of guidelines will apply in the distribution of funds for each province.

“The guidelines are allocation of funds will be allocated on how much each province spends in 2017, allocation per province includes Emergency Referrals but expended by MHMS and NRH and each DPH services will enforce its own referral policy for referred patients which they must comply”

Copyright :  Solomon Star.

4th ANNIVERSARY OF CHARITY BASED WEBSITE

4^th Anniversary of charity orientated website to aid and inform of the Solomon Islands.

 It was just over 4 years ago in March 2015 that I finally launched my website www.solomonislandsinfocus.com in an effort to aid several organizations in the Solomon Islands, especially the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS), the Hearts of Hope Charity, the Solomon Islands Christian Care Centre, the Family Support Centre, the Solomon Islands Council of Women, the Association of Persons’ with Disabilities, Read, the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (SIVB) and to illustrate, with a view to promotion and sale, the beautiful wood carvings that are an essential means of earning a living for the talented and skilled local craftsmen belonging to the Artists Association.

In keeping with the desire to help boost tourism to the Solomon Islands and the struggling economy I was fortunate from the onset to have been given help from the SIVB and to be able to link-up with their website and intended visitors need only to click on my website to view what the Solomon Islands has to offer.A similar click on my website puts those in touch, both internally and externally, to the SIBC, the Solomon Star and to the detailed website of Solomon Airlines.

In the past 4 years the interest of viewers and readers accessing my website on line has exceeded all expectations with thousands and thousands of hits from people across the globe, including many would-be business people wanting information about business opportunities in the Solomon Islands, from volunteers wishing to help the MoHMS as doctors, nurses and care workers, but also from many wanting to know how to buy the craft products the website illustrates.

I could say my proudest achievement in creating the website came when I was able to link up with ‘Take My Hands’ (TMH) Charity Trust in New Zealand and this partnership resulted in containers of medical equipment and supplies being sent regularly to the National Referral Hospital (NRH).  The supplies included hospital beds, mattresses, bed sheets, wheel chairs, crutches, walking frames and other items of mobility equipment.

TMH also managed to send more than 90 large boxes of second-hand clothing and foot wear to the needy orphans and elderly widows being cared for on a daily basis by the dedicated volunteers of the HOH Charity on Malaita.

TMH is now in the process, after a scoping exercise recently undertaking, to determine how best to continue helping the Solomon Islands with training support in the medical field and possibly with advice and practical help in the maintenance of medical equipment.

My website continues to be updated, daily, with news and events of interest to the outside world and often serves to give advance notice of local news because the lack of broadband internet services, particularly of late, has meant that local newspapers have not been able to regularly upload their daily stories and have them archived.

As my website is attracting high numbers of hits via Google’s first page, external interest in the Solomon Islands is facilitated instantly.

I will continue to promote my website in aid of the Solomon Islands as long as my health pertains and not just to foster information, but to help generate donor aid and to encourage those willing to volunteer their services to good causes.

 Yours sincerely

 Frank Short

MUNDA OPENS UP TO DIRECT INTERNAIONAL FLIGHTS

26 March 2019

 A tropical paradise awaits travellers to the Solomons Western Province wanting fun -filled diving and fishing adventures

Solomon Airlines flew its Airbus A320 into Munda airport in Western Province last week in preparation for its first international flight this Saturday heralding the way for tourists to the Western Province to delight in diving and fishing adventures amidst tropical azure seas and palm fringed beaches.

“Munda's airport development has been funded through a US$9.6 million grant from the New Zealand government as part of US$35 million development fund to promote tourism.

 The airlines ground operational manager, Dave Pearce, was reported by Radio New Zealand as saying the test flight to Munda was in preparation for its first international this coming Saturday.

Mr Pearce went on to say the demand was expected to rapidly increase the initial weekly frequency of the new Brisbane service.

Tourism to the Solomon Islands is really expected to set off with flights scheduled to Munda and intended travellers I feel will not be disappointed with what they find to delight them.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

ALLEGED THREATS BY ASIAN LOGGING CONTRACTOR