The first letter I wrote when I introduced my website www.solomonisalandsinfocus.com in 2014 focused on the plight of a relatively young man, a single father, with 3 young children.
That man had just been discharged from the National Referral Hospital (NRH) having had a leg surgically removed having succumbed to diabetes which had brought about his leg amputation.
My story was accompanied with a photograph of him standing outside the NRH pleading for someone to help him take care of his children since his disability prevented him from working and earning a living.
I believe the public having read the story contributed some $3000 to help him in the short-term.
I have often wondered what happened when his money ran out, how he managed to survive without work and especially what he managed to do for his children’s care and schooling.
Perhaps, a wantok helped but I never did learn of his circumstances after being discharged from the hospital.
That man’s story and his plight has focused my mind once again to the needs of the hundreds of former NRH patients needing rehabilitation with a prosthetic limb to assist their mobility but quite possibly to allow them to return to the workforce and to pursue employment in order to support their families.
For several years already their rehabilitation has not occurred because the NRH former Rehabilitation Workshop became infected with white ants and termites and was demolished.
A public appeal I made in 2020 saw a modular building fully insulated and with electrical fittings and an air conditioner procured by the SFA and gifted to the hospital last September to replace the former Rehabilitation Workshop. The intention behind the appeal and the gift was that the modular building could be used to make and custom fit artificial limbs to the patients awaiting them.
The modular building has not been brought into use to-date. I am informed that when it was received the staff of the existing Rehabilitation Unit requested and extension to it with a facility to make wooden crutches.
Building plans for the proposed extension were drawn-up together with an overall costing estimate but that was as far as things went.
I am told the NRH has no money to convert the modular building into the much needed workshop or to add on the facility for the making of crutches.
I have requested the hospital to tell me what amount of money the hospital requires to see to the modular building sited and for it to be made operational. I still await a reply.
With the rate of amputees growing weekly, I understood the need for temporary walking aids and the reason why I made another appeal for 300 metal crutches. Once again, the SFA generously and promptly responded to the appeal by giving the 300 crutches to the NRH as interim support until the Rehabilitation Workshop could start making artificial limbs.
When the former Rehabilitation Workshop fell into disrepair two employees that were specially trained in making artificial limbs and fitting them lost their jobs.
My partner charity in New Zealand, ‘Take My Hands’ has offered help to the NRH with supplying prosthetics and custom fitting them but, of course, that offer of help remains on hold until the NRH brings into use the modular building.
Over many months I have observed the activities of the Australian supported organizationStrongim Bisnis with help given to cocoa famers, farmers making and supplying organic soil mix and most recently the offer of a childcare centre for the workers employed by SolTuna,
Strongim Busnis is said to embrace the need for disability causes and support. It is in such regard I please request Strongim Bisnis to help the NRH re-start it’s very much needed Rehabilitation Workshop with the shortfall in funds said to required,
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
