Just the other day I wrote and submitted a piece about the NRH’ Cancer Unit being without a functioning mammogram machine to be used in a screening prgramme for women.
The importance of breast cancer screening is vitally important, but especially in the Solomon Islands where breast cancer is prevalent, but often not detected early enough by screening and when discovered the cancer has often spread and in some cases inoperable.
I understand a mammogram machine, acquired new, is not that expensive and I am a loss why the NRH does not have such an essential diagnostic tool.
My appeals for help with providing a mammogram machine to Japan and New Zealand have, so far, gone unanswered.
The local media picked up on my call for a the NRH’s Cancer Unit to have functioning mammograme machine and in today’s Solomon Star, Gasivaka Mell commented, and I quote.
‘Such medical equipments should come with service maintenance contract during the procurement... unfortunately most donated stuff don't...and again.. unfortunately budget blo ministry of health hem semsem Nomoa for the past few years, n no save increase for cater for such cost .. thus olgeta machine Olsem ba collect dust Nomoa then one fine day ota end up lo Ranadi....our new CT is a well planned project thus have a 5 years service maintenance contract...and hope full iumi garem budget for hem thereafter.”
End of quote.
I agree with the comments about the need for purchased medical equipment to be supplied with a service maintenance contract, but have to say regular maintenance should also be part of the routine of the personnel that operate the equipment.
A couple of years back, my partner charity in New Zealand, ‘Take My Hands’ asked the MHMS/NRH, to consider a proposal that would see NZ University Students seconded to the NRH or a period of time to teach and demonstrate maintenance routines and servicing in situ of all the equipment then in use by the NRH involved in patient care and treatment, including surgery.
There was less than a look warm reception to the proposal, except from the then CEO of the hospital and, as a consequence the proposal was withdrawn and the team of volunteer students sent to Tonga where they did excellent work.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
