20 May 2023
Last week I wrote a letter highlighting the need for patients at the Solomon Islands National Referral Hospital (NRH) suffering from rheumatic heart disease, a subject matter I have raised repeatedly for several years, to be able to be assessed and given medical help for their condition offshore, given such patients are not able to have the kind of medical help their condition requires at the NRH.
My earlier letter has drawn a response possibly from a concerned correspondent in Fiji, a letter which I was grateful to receive.
I am happy to quote what I was told.
Quote.
With Children Rheumatic Heart patients there is opportunity for local patients to be treated at much cheaper cost in Fiji. There is a Foundation that sends International paediatric Cardiac surgical teams to Fiji that do operate on children a few times a year and they are happy to take Solomon island children. The first group arrived earlier this year https://www.solomontimes.com/news/children-to-receive-life-saving-heart-surgery/12510 .
This is a partnership between a Children Hospital in Fiji and an NGO. The links are https://saipremafiji.com/sri-satya-sai-childrens-heart-hospital-fiji/ and https://saipremafiji.com/
The best way to help these children will be to contribute to funds that send these children over to Fiji for their assessment and surgery. There is a big backlog of patients with heart disease in the Solomon Islands so it will take a few medical referrals to help all those suffering from RHD.
End of quote.
My correspondent reported that Dr Titus Nasi <NTitus@nrh.gov.sb>, Head of Paediatrics would be person to contact for details of how to help existing patients in the SI with rheumatic heart disease.
Comment.
I am grateful to have learned of the partnership between the Christian hospital in Fiji and the NRH and I very much hope all will help by contributing funds to see RHD patients get to Fifi and receive the medical treatment and help they deserve.
My own hopes for help with donor assistance were dashed this week when money to aid the sick in the Solomon Islands did not reach me as I had been assured it would.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
