MOYA Diko is a Clinical Tutor at the Helena Goldie Nursing School and a Senior Nurse at the Helena Goldie Hospital. This year marks her 15th year of service at the church run hospital.
During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Moya was the Team Leader at Helena Goldie Hospital, serving people from communities in and around Munda, working on the frontline along with the handful of nurses serving at the hospital.
Helena Goldie Hospital in Munda, Western Province is owned and run by the United Church of the Solomon Islands. It was built in 1903 by Methodist missionaries and currently serves more than 26 000 people from surrounding communities North New Georgia, Vonavona Lagoon, Roviana Lagoon and Rendova Islands.
Moya shares with us her experiences during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
“During the pandemic, we faced a lot of challenges, people were afraid, and because it was a new disease, we too had to learn how to respond and treat patients. We also worked on approaches and strategies on how we could meet or achieve goals set out by the World Health Organisation.
“Firstly, the hospital, is not built in a way that allowed us to carry out required procedures for patients, in our haste to treat those affected, we mixed affected patients with other patients, going against protocols on how affected patients should be treated. Initially we put COVID patients into the TB ward but then had to re-strategize when we realised there was cross infection, we then earmarked a ward to isolate the patients affected with COVID-19 and moved the patients there.
“Also, we did not have enough manpower, so we went into emergency mode and had to screen all patients before sending them off to the wards. Our staff were also affected financially because some of us are paid by the government while others are paid directly by the church. So, some were financially affected and could not turn up to work and so those of us who were not affected had to work 24-hour shifts. We could not reach those who were sick at their own homes, but we tried our best to attend to all those who came to the hospital to seek help.
“One good thing that happened out of this was that we had the opportunity to learn new approaches and skills on how to handle patients with COVID. Because of COVID-19, we will now have an isolation unit and improved infrastructure.
“I would like to thank the World Bank for building a new isolation unit and doing major repairs to our hospital. My colleagues and I are very happy with the new and refurbished infrastructure developments that are currently being implemented.
“It will certainly improve the level and standard of services at the hospital, particularly on how we respond to future pandemics, as we now have the proper facility once construction is complete. Not only that but this will provide an even more improved and upgraded training ground for our students at Helena Goldie Nursing School,” says the softly spoken senior nurse.
“The three Isolation Units at Good Samaritan Hospital on Guadalcanal, Helena Goldie in Munda and Nila Area Health Centre in the Shortlands worth around SBD16.8 million and the renovation of Helena Goldie Hospital worth SBD6.3 million is financed by the World Bank through the MHMS under its COVID-19 Emergency support managed by the MHMS Project Management Unit. It is part of enhancing capacities and capabilities to respond more effectively to COVID-19 and future outbreaks of diseases and infections as well as strengthening the health system.
“The proposed refurbishments at Helena Goldie Hospital will be done over an estimated time period of six months for the General Ward, Operating Theatre and the Labour Ward as well as construction of a new Isolation Unit and provision of a new generator set,” she adds.
