28 July 2018
Honouring a pledge to lead and serve
Last week the acting Honiara City Mayor, Eddie Ngava, called on all members of Solomon Islands Parliament to step in and render support in what was a national issue concerning the ongoing medical drugs shortages at the NRH and clinics.
Mr.Ngava cited one MP having already donated medical drugs and supplies to three clinics in West Honiara and he called upon the other 49 MPs to render the same degree of support to the clinics in their respective constituencies.
I would appeal to those 49 MPs to follow the challenge set by Mr. Ngava to demonstrate to the country and their constituents their concern for the crisis over drug shortages and to fulfill their responsibilities to the constituents they were elected to represent.
So often one has read of allegations concerning the lack of constituency development and alleged misuse of the constituency development funds each MP receives annually and now would be the ideal time to set aside any such allegations and to help by generously donating money to buy medicines in the national interest or to donate adequate medical drugs and supplies, following the example set by the West Honiara MP, to his constituency clinics.
In the present climate resulting from medical drugs shortages it is more than ever necessary, in my view, to demonstrate “to lead is to serve,” or regrettably be judged in the court of public opinion has not having lived up to the expectations of a serving Member of Parliament.
Please, Honourable Members, do help the nation at this difficult time and those who put you in office for many in the constituencies are suffering illness and need treatment and access to medical care and medicine.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
