The National Referral Hospital (NRH) says it is strengthening security to protect patients, staff, visitors and property and to address overcrowding in its compound, in a notice published on the Solomon Islands Government portal on 24 September 2026.
NRH management said in the notice that the enhanced measures will be introduced and enforced by hospital security personnel with support from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) at Honiara Central Police Station, and that a recent meeting identified opportunities for the two authorities to work together.
According to the notice, the hospital has recorded an increase in theft and other security breaches in recent months, and overcrowding in the compound is creating additional safety and security risks. The hospital said it is concerned that members of the public are using toilets and showers intended for patients, staff and authorised visitors, and that markets operating along the hospital fence are considered high-risk areas because they attract crowds and antisocial behaviour, including "play pass."
The notice said a CCTV system will be installed immediately to monitor open-access points and high-risk areas, and that relevant footage will be shared with the RSIPF for technical advice and investigative purposes. Fencing will be erected in the coming weeks to regulate pedestrian movement and prevent unauthorised entry, the hospital said, adding that although structural fencing could affect the appearance of the hospital by making it resemble a prison setting, security and safety take priority because the compound extends east and north towards the seafront.
Day-to-day security operations will be strengthened in areas including car park management by timing, visitor management, operation of the CCTV system, regular patrols in identified high-risk areas, access controls for designated rooms, wards and offices, and the reporting of suspicious behaviour, according to the notice.
The hospital said movement within the hospital will be restricted from 22:00 each day, except for hospital staff and authorised representatives accompanying transferred patients, and that a limit of one relative per patient will apply except where special circumstances require additional support. Overnight stays beneath ward and clinic buildings are prohibited, and people may be turned away by security personnel from unauthorised areas, particularly near infection-control zones and after hours, the notice said.
Source: Based on a notice from the Ministry of Health & Medical Services published on the Solomon Islands Government portal (solomons.gov.sb) on 24 September 2026. https://solomons.gov.sb/the-national-referral-hospital-nrh-is-strengthening-security-to-protect-patients-staff-visitors-and-property-while-also-addressing-overcrowding-within-the-hospital-compound/