Dear Editor – I am writing to express my concern regarding the article published on January 26, 2025, in the Solomon Star, titled “Med Students Demand Truth from SITESA.”
As a third-year MBBS student at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG), I feel it is necessary to clarify and address certain inaccuracies in the article.
While I acknowledge the frustrations expressed by some students regarding Solomon Islands Government (SIG) scholarships, I must however emphasise that the article does not accurately reflect the current situation.
As of now, we are actively in the process of lodging our applications with the National Scholarship Division (NSD), and the director is working towards awarding these scholarships.
With respect, I kindly request the article to be retracted for the following reasons:
The student who reported the story to your office did not consult the wider Solomon Islands medical student group at UPNG before bringing these concerns to the media. The opinions expressed in the article, therefore, do not represent the collective views of the group.
The article appears to reference past events rather than the current progress being made. Presently, we are close to finalising our scholarship endorsements with the NSD. The publication of outdated and inaccurate claims risks creating unnecessary friction with the NSD committee, who may view this negatively at a crucial time.
I hope this matter will be addressed promptly to prevent further misunderstanding. I trust that the Solomon Star values accuracy and fairness in reporting, and I am confident that this request will be considered seriously.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Emmanuel Ouou
3rd Year MBBS Student
University of Papua New Guinea
