I have been musing this morning on the unfairness and unjustified invasion of the Ukraine by Russia and the loss of life that has already occurred to innocent women and children of that independent country in defence of their democratic way of life.
The noun ‘unfairness” I believe can be applied to the situation relating to the situation in the Solomon Islands where patients at the National Referral Hospital suffering from rheumatic heart disease (RHD), especially the young children admitted to the hospital with RHD, are denied access to specialist cardiologist examination and assessment for possible offshore surgery that could possibly extend their lives or at least give them better survival chances that they presently have.
Denied access does not mean RHD patients at the NRH are not attended to by caring doctors and nursing staff, but the fact is that specialist attention is not yet available at the hospital in the absence of the Australian team of cardiologists that used to voluntarily visit the NRH to carry out examinations of RHD patients and in some cases recommend a medical transfer to a hospital in Australia where heart valve surgery was performed gratis under help as provided by the 10 bed hospital arrangement with the St Vincent Hospital in Sydney,
Covid has put an end to those medical specialist visits, but now Australia has re-opened its international air borders to fully vaccinated arrivals it would seem possible for RHD patients already assessed and considered suitable for offshore treatment to go for treatment at a hospital in Australia, albeit the arrangement with the St Vincent hospital is still in abeyance.
The St George’s hospital in Sydney is as hospital that could possibly accept RHD patients considered suitable for surgery but there are major hurdles to that occurring, and I will explain briefly.
The NRH does not have the independent budget to be able to fund the transfer of RHD patients via the existing referral plans coordinated by the Referral Committee headed by the NRH’s Medical Superintendent, and only with donor funds could a transfer of a RHD patient be possible.
It would be more practical if suitably assessed RHD patients could be operated on at home at the RNH by specialist surgeons - and assuming the NRH has the needed operating theaters and equipment.
As the Australian cardiologists are restricted from entering the Solomon Islands due to the reported ban on visitors what can be done?
I have noted that there have been some recent arrivals into the country from China, despite the present ban on entry, and an exception would seem to have been made because those arrivals were technical experts to see to the further advancement of the 2023 Pacific Games facilities being erected in Honiara with funding and support from the PRC.
Why could the PRC not fly in specialist cardiologists to conduct assessments of needy RHD patients, especially young children and give them the surgery they need to extend their lives?
The PRC has top specialist and their arrival and humanitarian medical help would be seen as less political than the situation of flying in a group of Chinese police officers that has been viewed overtly political at home an internationally judging by media coverage I have been monitoring.
As alternatives to getting PRC specialist medical and surgical assistance for the waiting RHD patients might the USA that is about to re-open its Honiara Embassy do the same?
It is unfair in my view that those existing RHD patients that are pre-assessed as being suitable for life changing surgery are denied their chances and neither politics or funding should prevent them from the help they, and in many instances their relatives, including parents, seeing them suffer in hospital need.
The ultimate answer, of course, is for the NRH to be given the funds much needed with an independent budget.
Fairness to my way of thinking is intertwined with moral responsibility and obligation and surely the many RHD patients at the NRH need all.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
