As readers at home will know a modular building was received by the National Referral Hospital (NRH) last September following an appeal and the building procured overseas and kindly gifted to the hospital by the SFA.
While I am still waiting for official confirmation from the NRH that funds have been procured to site the building on a concrete footing, I am optimistic the work will be undertaken soon.The modular building is to replace the demolished structure once used to manufacture artificial limbs for the patients that underwent surgery and had one or more limbs amputated after contracting diabetes.
Today, the number of patients waiting artificial limbs is in the hundreds and the numbers grow each week.
My partner charity has been kept aware of developments towards the establishment of a replacement workshop and said many times it would be willing to help once the building is put onto its footings and is ready to re-start work in re-making artificial limbs and custom fitting them.
This morning, in confirmation of the help on offer, I received the following letter from Mrs. Janette Searle, the Managing Trustee of ‘Take My Hands,’ my partner charity based in Auckland.
Quote.
“From the TMH perspective in supporting orthotics, prosthetics and general rehabilitation in the Solomons:
- we can access parts and equipment - most of it will be second hand, but as our other partners have indicated it is still really useful.
- We can connect the rehab unit staff and NRH with partners here in NZ and Australia that have a real interest in increasing access to good equipment and resource.
- We could in the longer term work on a project to try and support from a capability perspective through our relationship with the NZ Artificial Limb Service here in NZ - but that would be likely philanthropically funded so would take longer to organise.”
End of quote.
I express my appreciation to Mrs. Searle and ‘Take My Hands’ for once again offering assistance to the Solomon Islands.
I very much hope that the new Rehabilitation Workshop will not be further delayed for its use and services are essential if the limbless patients I care about are to receive the mobility aids they have waited so long to obtain.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
