LEADER of Opposition Matthew Wale has urged the Government to redirect resources to COVID health facilities and response services.
In a statement today (Sunday 23th January) Mr Wale said in light of the current COVID-19 situation in the country, it warrants the wisdom to redirect all funds and resources to the National Referral Hospital, additional field hospitals and expanding the health care system.
“We are in a health crises that warrants are more comprehensive approach meaning we should prioritize all funding resources to our health care system and to manage and keep our citizens safe,” he said.
The Leader of Opposition said the Prime Minister himself in his recent nationwide address has admitted in disguise that the NRH is now in a serious health crises.
He said it is even sad that the Prime Minister’s statement is contradictory to his Health Minister’s statement in Parliament last year that the NRH is prepared and well equipped to handle this current situation.
“It is insane that the gov’t allocated $100million for PG 2023 preparations whilst our healthcare system is facing imminent collapse under COVID pressure. It is tragic that the priority now is building stadiums and not healthcare infrastructure,” he said.
The Leader of Opposition said we had a two-year window to prepare ourselves but the fact that we only had 56 beds at the isolation field hospital indicates that we had no strategic plan for any community transmission in Honiara and around the country.
“Prioritize the lives of our people and the health care system and infrastructures to tackle this current outbreak. Lets face the fact that there will be setbacks as a result of this current community transmission and it will further delay preparations towards PG 2023,” he said.
