14 January 2023
In a piece published in today’s edition of the Solomon Star newspaper, Mr. Frank Zhou, the Team Leader of the China Medical Team at the NRH in Honiara explains how he proposes to introduce the performance management system practiced in Chinese hospitals to hospitals in the Solomon Islands.
Quoting from the Solomon Star, Mr., and Zhou’s article read –
Quote.
“The 1st China Medical Team in Solomon Islands has worked in National Referral Hospital for over 9 months. Over this period, we acquired a good understanding of the public hospital system in this country. A common saying goes like this: “Mutual understanding is the breeding ground for fruits of friendship”. Starting from today, I will introduce the performance management in Chinese public hospital to you. It is my sincere intention that it can help the local people know more about China.”
The article goes on to cover – THE INDEX SYSTEM OF MACRO POLICY, MEDICAL TREATMENT POLICY, MEDICAL TREAMENT QUALITY, MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY, AND SUSTAINED DEVELOPMENT.
End of quote.
Comment
Macro policy, Medical treatment policy, Medical treatment quality, Management efficiency and Sustained development are all core policies that are said to apply in the Chinese public health system – a system known to be of good quality and with qualified medical personnel, including many specialists and a system not short of essential funding, but the public health system in the Solomon Islands differs from the one in China for many clear reasons, including a shortage of doctors and medical professionals, a clear lack of testing practices and procedure necessary for the early signs of disease, lack of hospital equipment and a lack of funding for hospital administration and medical treatment, not to mention the disused and abandoned Colonial era medical clinics and medical referral centres in the rural areas of the country.
Unless all of the core policy aspects mentioned by Mr. Zhou are helped in a way towards compatibility to those in the Chinese public health system, I cannot see how applying the principles of the policies outlined by Mr. Zhou will work at home in the Solomon Islands.
To take just one example I referred to in the last few days, the hospital in East Kwaio needs basic medical equipment, including a vitally important ECG machine to effectively administer health services to a local population exceeding 80,000 dependent on the hospital.
There is also the outstanding issue of a much needed mammogram machine at the NRH’s Cancer Unit.
To ensure the successful implantation of the systems that operates in the Chinese public health system the PRC should seriously consider the shortcomings in our existing health provisioning if anything positive is to be achieved.
The ideas put forward by Mr. Zhou cannot be successfully superimposed on a failing health system in the Solomon Islands without a clear understanding of the prevailing local situation regarding heath provisioning as it stands today.
Note. The Solomon Star article translated from an original Chinese text is heavy in jargon
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
