Encouraging news on two important health related affairs in the Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Service’s $17 million project for a CT Scan at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) is expected to commence this year and it is understood a contractor has already been awarded the contract through the appropriate tender processes.
According to the 2020 Appropriation Bill 2019, the government has already allocated funds through its Ministry of Health and Medical Services for this significant project.
The CT scan project which falls under the Thesauri Health Care Services program plans has already been completed and the CT Scan will be located near the radiology building at the National Referral Hospital.
In an interview with Pacific Tenders, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Procurement Director, Layton Jacob, said Hatanga Limited has won the bid for the first phase of the project which will include the design and construction of the CT scan housing facility.
Mr. Jacob further explained the second component of the project; Phase II is the CT scan project management where the tender process is yet to be finalized by the CT scan Interim Manager Dr Aaron Oritaemae.
The total contractual amount for the first phase of the project which was awarded to Hatanga is $10,680,410.98 million and the remaining $6,319,589.02 million will be reserved for the second phase of the project, the CT scan Project Management.
According to Dr Oritaemae the construction work is expected to take 14 months before the installation of the equipment which is expected to be around November 2020.
In a separate matter, The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) together with the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday commemorated this year’s world Leprosy day in Honiara.
The event was celebrated based on the theme ‘Triple Zero Campaign: Zero Transmission, Zero Disabilities and Zero Discrimination.’
Speaking on behalf of the permanent secretary, National Director of Nursing, Michael Larui, said the campaign theme of this year is relevant and that all should work together to achieve it.
Meanwhile, the WHO Technical Advisor Communicable Diseases, Dr Anupama Hazarika, said leprosy is an ancient disease and is mention in the Bible.
She assured leprosy is curable and early treatment averts most disabilities.
Dr Hazarika said WHO has provided leadership and supports the national leprosy program in Solomon Islands in the fight against leprosy.
We and together in supporting the national leprosy program as we endeavour to eliminate leprosy from the last remaining pockets of transmission in Solomon Islands,” she said.”
Source of news: Solomon Star newspaper.
Good news indeed and much appreciation to all concerned.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
