56-bed Field Hospital nearly full, new positive cases face self-isolation at home

With just two days in the community transmission of COVID-19 in Honiara, Prime Minister Mansseh Sogavare has admitted today that the 56 beds capacity at the Central field hospital (Multi-purpose hall) is nearly full and soon there will be no rooms to put positive cases.

In his address today, Sogavare said the central field hospital is already nearly full.

“It only has a capacity of 56 beds. The total number of positive cases we have in Honiara the past 3 days is 50. I have been told the numbers of positive cases could be even higher tomorrow. If that is the case, we will not have rooms to put the positive cases into,” he said in his national address.

Sogavare said the safety of patients at the National Referral hospital is already severely compromised with six positive cases in the Emergency department.

“We cannot use the NRH for any COVID-19 cases,” he said.

Sogavare said the Oversight Committee will advise him tomorrow on options for managing people who test positive including those that are sick and need medical care if the central field hospital is full.

“I am told that if we do not have enough hospital rooms, we may have no option but to ask the people who test positive or who are sick from COVID-19 to remain in their homes and self-isolate there,” Sogavare said.

Meanwhil, Sogavare also used the opportunity remind people abut the importance of vaccination.

 “I have informed you in almost all my previous statements about the dangers of community transmission and the speed with which it will spread in our country if it gets to the community.

Now you can see for yourselves what I had been trying to put across to you when I was asking you to be vaccinated.

The key point now is that COVID-19 is in our community, and it will affect many people,” he said.