A local newspaper report today, Friday, said with the growing demand for its services, the Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association (SIPPA), on Tuesday took delivery of two ultra sound machines— thanks to Australia and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
SIPPA’s Executive Director Ben Angoa said they had been trying to acquire the machines for years— but were unable to— due to financial limitation.
“We are thankful that with funding from DFAT (Australia) through UNPFA we are able to procure the machines,” he said.
He stated that the scan machines are very important as they would help them to deal with their patients effectively and treat them instantly.
The machines will enable SIPPA workers to diagnose diseases or detect what causes abdomen pain.
Mr. Angoa explained that as their work deals with reproductive health, the machines are critical to their work, as abdomen pain is common amongst women.
“We have so many people who walk into our clinic with abdomen pain. Most we can’t deal with them but we just have to refer them to the NRH,” he said.
However, with the arrival of the machines his nurses can now use them to detect and find out the cause(s) of the pain and give them the treatment they required rather than having to refer them to the NRH. Mr. Angoa added that furthermore this would also help the work of their doctor who visits them every two weeks.
Meanwhile, Mr.Angoa explained that one of the machines will be sent to their clinic in Malaita Province as it is one of their busiest – given the big population.
UNFPA through the support of DFAT has been providing Maternal health commodities, contraceptives and PPE to the Ministry of Health (Maternal and Reproductive health division) Gynaecological ward at the National Referral hospital, and now SIPPA.
–SIPPA
Thank you UNFPA and DFAT, Australia.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
