THE Minister for Health and Medical Services, Dr Paul Popora Bosawai formally handed over a land-cruiser vehicle to the Malaita Provincial Director David Danitofea to serve East Malaita.
The vehicle was handed over during a brief visit to the hospital during the Malaita Day celebration fortnight ago.
The vehicle was funded under the World Bank Health Emergency and Preparedness Trust Fund (HEPTF) to strengthen health services in rural areas.
The vehicle will be stationed in Nafinua AHC in East Malaita and will serve surrounding clinics, including Atoifi Hospital and Subu Clinic, transporting urgent medicine and medical supplies from Auki to clinics in the Eastern region.
It will also serve as an ambulance for referrals and emergency cases from the rural clinics to Kilu’ufi in Auki.
Minister Bosawai was part of Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele’s delegation that visited Auki to mark Malaita Province’s 41st Second Appointed Day anniversary.
After the official Malaita Day ceremony, the delegation visited various national projects sites in Auki, including the Kilufii Hospital, where the minister took the opportunity to hand over the vehicle to the Provincial Health Director, Dr Danitofea.
Handing over the vehicle, Minister Bosawai emphasized MHMS’s effort to ensure the challenges to delivering health services in the rural communities is lessened.
“My ministry, in partnership with World Bank, is proud to be handing over this land cruiser vehicle to the people of Nafinua in East Malaita.
“Transport for referrals and access to medicine, medical supplies and has been a longstanding and ongoing issue for most rural clinics across.
“Coupled with the road conditions, access to health services in Auki is a challenge and so we are pleased to handover this vehicle to Nafinua Clinic in East Malaita, which has been without an ambulance for a while now,” Minister Bosawai said.
Dr Danitofea, in turn, handed over the vehicle to a representative of the Nafinua Area Health Center (AHC) in East Malaita.
Prior to the vehicle handover, the delegation visited the site for the Kilu’fi Hospital Improvement Project worth around SBD120 million. Works will involve the refurbishment of approximately six buildings of the hospital.
- MHMS Press
