COVID-19 awareness on Guadalcanal is expected to complete by the end of May.
Health Director of Guadalcanal Provincial Health Division Dr Joel Denty says officers from their emergency operation center are now monitoring the awareness campaign.
He said despite obstacles faced at the start of the program, he is optimistic they will complete all their awareness work by the end of the month.
"Currently our awareness team is still on field including other NGOs like Red Cross, Live & learn who work along with our team. We have covered more than 50 percent of the areas on Guadalcanal and only a few more communities within the wards are to be covered”, Denty said.
Denty adds Doctors also carry out training to various Clinics around Guadalcanal to assist nurses in their response to Covid 19.
“Though we are still free from covid 19, our aim is to make nurses aware and to be alert on the covid 19. Training is based on three key areas, (1) how to identify the signs and symptoms of Covid 19 (2) infection protocol like avoiding over crowdedness and patients with normal fever should seek differently, (3) train nurses how to use covid 19 protection wear’’.
Denty says after they had completed the training, their next move is to distribute Covid 19 equipment to clinics around the province.
"We have been distributing some of those equipment to nearby clinics except some clinics that are yet to undergo training”, he said.
Dr Denty said health is everyone's business and not just from the medical authorities.
He said communities should also come up with alternative hygiene plans. Denty said sometimes resources are stretched, so they can only support through awareness and assist with training of nurses and staff at the clinics.