Once again the National Referral Hospital and its doctors, nurses and ancillary personnel are under pressure from the current outbreak of flu and coming on top of the fact that the NRH is daily under strain from the NCD patients occupying hospital beds or attending for treatment for what, after all, are preventable diseases and illnesses, if only the right kind of preventable advice and screening programs were available regularly.
I have in mind the kind of advice on proper diet, exercise, smoking, consuming alcohol, the overuse of betel nuts, dental care, the need for stress reduction and resultant hypertension, blood pressure, on women and men’s illnesses if only the MHMS and the NRH had both a budget and qualified staff for such vitally important preventative health practices in daily operation.
I have been writing quite recently about what I see as health prevention being as a necessity and noted how Australia, the New United States, and the PRC have all contributed to helping the MHMS with vaccine supplies to deal with Covid-19.
Looking at the situation more objectively, while not being ungrateful for the vaccine supplies to date, the threat to the NRH and patient care lies in tackling the causes of NCDs and effective regular screening for the detection of early signs of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, as well as advice on preventing rheumatic heart disease and rheumatic heart fever, in the latter cases especially affecting children.
I believe the SI’s diplomatic partners, especially Australia and the United States, both countries with new avowed commitments to the Solomon Islands should supply the necessary screening equipment vitally needed by the NRP to begin the screening initiatives I have identified, as well as formulating and aiding a new preventative health department of the MHMS/NRH in giving out advice and practical guidance to the wider community on health prevention to reduce the incidences of NCD causes.
What we witness today, and have for many years, is the NRH dealing with the costly, time consuming and often fatal consequences of NCD diseases and not on dealing with the necessary and important tasks associated with health prevention, which should be more a primary health requirement.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
