Visale clinic in danger of collapse from rising sea levels to the detriment of hundreds of people from several communities reliant on health care and treatment.
The Visale clinic, built in the 1930s by a Catholic Priest, Father Wall from New Zealand, lies just a few metres away from the ocean and the forefront shoreline, including several trees, is slowly being washed away by rising sea levels occasioned by climate change.
With the advancing sea the clinic is in danger of collapsing and the community will be devoid of the only health facility that has served local communities since the 1930’s.
Once the clinic is no longer functional community people will need to travel the long distance to Honiara, often in inclement weather and difficult road conditions, as well as by sea, to get medical treatment.
The residents in Visale are now calling on the responsible authorities to start planning the early re-relocation of the clinic away from the shoreline.
The fear locally is that continuing sea rise will very soon cause the clinic to collapse.
It is believed that some earlier upgrading plan for the clinic was scrapped but the reason for this is not known.
Source: Solomon Star News.
Given the Visale Clinic is vital to the medical needs of local communities it is hoped that the situation will get some urgent attention in terms of the rights of the people to health care and facilities, despite whether or not the clinic was initially privately built and may never have been designated an official government health facility.
It is my understanding that the existing clinic is used by communities from Visale, North-West Guadalcanal, West Guadalcanal, Savo and Russell islands, making the clinic an essential health facility that cannot be allowed to fall into disuse without a replacement.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
