The recent 4 day inquiry to the Western province by the Education and Human Resources Training Committee from the 7th to the 11th of May 2018 was deemed a success.
The visiting delegation, headed by the Chairman and MP for East Makira, Hon. Alfred Ghiro, includes Committee members; Hon. Matthew Wale, (MP, Aoke/Langalanga), Hon. Derek Sikua, (MP, North East Guadalcanal), Hon. Dickson Mua, (MP, Savo/ Russell) accompanied by the Committee Secretariat of the National Parliament.
The Committee’s visit to the Western Province was a continuation of its Inquiry instigated in 2016 on the quality of training undertaken by our medical practitioners.
Underlined issues of types and relevance of training, standards of certification and qualifications, in-service training plans and scheme, including other matters relating to trainings and practical certification were emphasized during the course of the hearing held at the Helena Goldie Nursing College on Tuesday 8th May 2018.
Student representatives and faculty of the Nursing College, as well as the staff of Helena Goldie Hospital appeared before the Committee. These witnesses expressed concerns on issues the college and the hospital have been facing for many years. Some of the concerns include negligence and lack of support from relevant stakeholders.
Issues pertaining to the suspension of the Helena Goldie School of Nursing by the Nursing Council hinges on the need to upgrade the teaching curriculum and anticipated, improvements and provisions of an adequate Infrastructure.
There have been financial struggles since the college started their Diploma in nursing program in 2010. These problems have affected class schedules and reduced the possibility for the college to have new student intakes.
Speaking to Parliament media on the pressing matter of opportunities for further studies and scholarships, Thadeus Siota, a long serving registered nurse in Helena Goldie said that the importance and urgency for these upgrades to take place has been a desperate cry for help by the college since 2008.
“We are in a situation where we don’t even know what comes next in terms of scholarships or opportunities to further our studies as our students are also being ignored by responsible authorities”
Mr Siota further raised that most of the opportunities and scholarships that come through these authorities do not reach them.
The EHRT Committee later made site visits to the Helena Goldie hospital and College facilities on Wednesday the 9th to establish the concerns and outcries emphasized during its one day hearing.
The Committee later headed to Gizo on the 10th for a site visit to the Gizo Hospital.
Whilst in Gizo the EHRT Committee also paid a courtesy visit to the Western Provincial Assembly and raised the highlighted concerns from both health institutes and suggested development plans for a better working relation between Helena Goldie and Gizo Hospital with all its stakeholders.
Presented at the meeting were the Deputy Premier, Hon. Malloney Lapoto, Provincial Assembly Speaker, Mr. Richard Tekefono and the Provincial Secretary to the Western Provincial Executive, Mr. Jeffery Wickham.
The Provincial representative also noted the urgency of concerns raised and assured the visiting Committee of their plans to adequately support these two provincial health institutes and pledged their cooperation’s to assist the EHRT Committee in resolving and implementing on its findings and recommendations.
A scheduled visit by the Health Committee will be due for a visit to Gizo, with a date to be set later in June.
The delegation departed Munda for Honiara on Friday the 11th of May.