NRH’s CEO addresses current bed shortages and outlines the greater issues impacting on the hospital’s services

NRH’s CEO addresses current bed shortages and outlines the greater issues impacting on the hospital’s services

Posted by : frank short Posted on : 24-Jun-2021

 Quoting from today’s Solomon Star newspaper, Dr George Malefoasi, Chief Executive Officer has spoken for the NRH, on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), on the measures and steps to overcome the bed shortages at the hospital.

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During a press conference, Dr.Malefoasi explained to the media that the problem of bed shortage issue was “not necessarily creating beds but more about staffing, having systems and protocols in place.

He said with the current bed issue shortage, the MHMS was now working on external measures to address the matter. Such measures included having a new hospital, Honiara City Council clinics to take up some load from the NRH by extending opening hours, to open during public holidays and weekends and to invest in a private clinic.

Dr.Malefoasi said the MHMS also aims to reduce ‘access block’ internally.

“We want to see that no one should wait unattended by a doctor after being seen by a nurse 30 mins to one hour after arriving at the designated services area of the hospital.

“No one should sleep or lay on the floor of the hospital anymore. No one will be overlooked while admitted to the ED and no one should die under the roof of the hospital unnecessarily without any scientific cause or reasons. No one should be discharged if his/her medical needs are not met or answered and no one should leave the hospital after the treatment without proper discharge and follow up.

The risks we are facing are obviously funding, our budgets were cut, the slow process of procurement which has affected our plans and even the absorptive capacity, and not having enough manpower. We need additional staff.”

At the end of the day it is team work and we cannot do things without the support of the government,” he said.

Dr.Malefoasi stressed, in relation to health investment we are eyeing the NRH business case implementation policy, improving the current set-up and looking at HCC health centres and relocation.

He said they have looked at three systems in terms of financing the above-mentioned plans; those systems include the Solomon Islands Government (SIG), development partners and public- private partnership.

Dr.Malefoasi said the current problems facing the NRH are the “increasing demand versus supply of beds”.

He said the flow of sick people into the NRH has increased and the concern is that the low risk patients could have been seen at the clinics – that is where the difficulty comes.

Dr.Malefoasi stressed the emergency department is overloaded and overcrowded. It is always worse on the weekends and public holidays when sometimes they see 40 up to 60 patients at the ED at one time.

“One of the main reasons for having 40 up to 60 patients at the ED is because HCC clinics are closed on weekends and public holidays that makes life really difficult for the NRH.

“Most of our primary healthcare services are affected and limited and also when patients come in they remain in the hospital for more than 24 hours because of the severity of their illness.

“All of these problems lead to access blocking and there has not been previous planning to address the problem.

“Without previous planning to look at what is happening we have found the pressure (on the hospital) becomes worse because of the public health crisis,” he said.

Comments

Clearly the NRH is operating in very challenging circumstances and one would hope that what Dr Malefoasi has outlined can be adequately and swiftly addressed with proper procedures and with the HCC clinics taking away some of the pressure.

The concerns over funding and staffing are matters for the government to address and, despite tough economic circumstances, the pressing needs of the NRH and health services generally need more attention and support.

I thank Dr. Malefoasi and the PS of the MHMS for setting the picture more clearly.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

www.solomonislandsinfocus.com

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