Solomon Islands Short of Anaesthetists, Minister Reveals

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The Solomon Islands needs at least 20 anaesthetists to meet the country’s current medical demands, but there are only five serving across the nation — four at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) and one at Kilu’ufi Hospital in Malaita Province.

Minister of Health and Medical Services, Hon. Dr Paul Popora Bosawai, revealed this in Parliament when responding to questions raised by the Leader of Opposition, Hon. Matthew Wale.

Dr Bosawai explained that four of the anaesthetists have completed a Master of Medicine in Anaesthesia, while one holds a postgraduate diploma.

“So, in total, we have five anaesthetists,” the Minister confirmed.

Anaesthetists are specialist doctors responsible for administering anaesthesia and managing patient care before, during, and after surgical or medical procedures.

Dr Bosawai said the four Master’s-qualified anaesthetists are currently serving at the NRH, while the diploma holder is stationed at Kilu’ufi Hospital, where he also serves as Director of Health Services for Malaita Province.

“For the NRH alone, we need at least seven anaesthetists to cover the seven operating rooms — six at the NRH and one at the newly built Comprehensive Medical Centre,” Dr Bosawai said.

He added that anaesthetists are also responsible for managing critically ill patients who require ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). “This means, at a minimum, we need two anaesthetists to cover that role at the NRH. We would also like to be able to cover emergency surgeries at all provincial hospitals,” he stated.

These hospitals include Taro, Sasamunga, Gizo, Helena Goldie, Sege, Buala, Tulagi, Kilu’ufi, Atoifi, Kirakira, and Lata.

“When you add all that up, the country needs at least 20 anaesthetists,” Dr Bosawai said.

On plans to address the shortage, the Minister said the Anaesthetic Department at the NRH continues to recruit interested doctors for pre-postgraduate training in anaesthesia, with support from the Australian Society of Anaesthetists, which conducts annual training sessions for Solomon Islands doctors.

He further revealed that there are currently six doctors in the department undergoing preparatory training. “We send our postgraduate trainees to the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) and the Fiji National University (FNU),” he said.

However, Dr Bosawai noted that intake numbers are limited by each institution’s capacity. “For example, FNU can only accept one trainee per year for anaesthesia. We currently have three postgraduate trainees doing the program at FNU — two of whom are expected to qualify by the end of 2027. We intend to send two more trainees in 2026,” he concluded.