MHMS MINISTER HANDS OVER WORLD BANK FUNDED VEHICLE TO MALAITA PROVINCE

The Minister for Health and Medical Services, the Honorable Dr Paul Popora Bosawai on Malaita Day last week handed over a land cruiser vehicle to the Malaita Provincial Director David Danitofea during a brief visit to Kilu’ufi Hospital. The vehicle was then handed over to a representative from Nafinua Area Health Center (AHC) in East Malaita.

The vehicle is funded under the World Bank Health Emergency and Preparedness Trust Fund (HEPTF), providing logistics support with the aim to strengthen health services in rural areas. The vehicle will be stationed in Nafinua AHC in East Malaita and will serve surrounding clinics including Atoifi Hospital and Subu Clinic, transporting urgent medicine and medical supplies from Auki to clinics in the Eastern region. It will also serve as an ambulance that will transport referrals and emergency cases from the rural clinics to Kilu’ufi in Auki.

Minister Bosawai was part of Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele’s delegation that visited Auki to mark the province’s second appointed day celebrations with the Provincial Government and people of Malaita. After the official ceremony, the delegation visited various projects sites in Auki including the Kilufii Hospital where the Minister took the opportunity to hand over the vehicle to the Provincial Health Director, Dr Danitofea and witnessed by the delegation.

Handing over the vehicle Minister Bosawai emphasized the Ministry’s effort to ensure challenges in delivering health services in the rural communities was lessened.

“My Ministry in partnership with World Bank is proud to be handing over this land cruiser vehicle to the people of Nafinua in East Malaita. Transport for referrals and access to medicine, medical supplies and has been a longstanding and ongoing issue for most rural clinics across.

Coupled with the road conditions, travel to access health services in Auki is a challenge and so we are pleased to handover this vehicle to Nafinua Clinic in East Malaita, who have been without an ambulance for a while now, said Minister Bosawai.

Meanwhile prior to the vehicle handover, the delegation visited the site for the Kilu’fi Hospital Improvement Project worth around SBD120 million. Works will involve the refurbishment of approximately 6 buildings of the hospital.

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The delegation visiting at Kilu’ufi Hospital Improvement Project site

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For media inquiries contact the MHMS Communications Unit

Email: Esther Nuria at ENuria@moh.gov.sb  or Rosalie Nongebatu at RNongebatu@moh.gov.sb