Honiara City clinics will resume as soon as the outstanding water bill has been paid to the Solomon Islands Water Authority. The City's Deputy Mayor, Alfred Maetia, says the process to release the money for the outstanding bill is underway.

Mr Maetia explained that any expense related to health services in Honiara City is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. He says the slow process of government releasing funds for the outstanding water bill has delayed re-opening of Honiara clinics providing health service.

He says health services in the city's clinics should resume today. However, in a random check by Solomon Times with all the major clinics in Honiara, only three were open.

Other clinics visited said that water shortage is the least of their worries. "To be honest, one of the reasons why we are still closed is because we no longer have child vaccinations, and we have had to turn mothers away," stated one nurse. "Even if you go to the main hospital, they have run out of child vaccination."

Few mothers spoken to say that they have had to "go from one clinic to another looking for child vaccination." "This is really worrying, my child is only two months and has not yet received proper vaccination, and I am not the only one," said one mother.

One doctor spoken to confirmed to Solomon Times that there is no more child vaccination in stock. "We do not usually go this long without having new orders arriving...and given that at least 30 babies are born every week, this is worrying."

Calls placed to the Ministry of Health and Medical Services were not returned.


With The SIBC News