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The Royal Solomon Island Police Force (RSIPF) applauds the Ministry of Health and Medical Services for holding an Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) training course at the Rove Police Headquarters in Honiara from 28 – 32 July 2020.
Seventy-three RSIPF officers from various departments and units in Honiara as well as Guadalcanal Province attended the training. At the end of the training, officers were awarded completion certificates.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Ian Vaevaso says, “The aim of the training was to instill knowledge of IPC and how to use PPEs properly to reduce risk of exposure and transmission of COVID-19 amongst RSIPF officers and enhance capacity to respond to COVID-19 incidences.”
“RSIPF officers are exposed to COVID-19 risks especially when making arrests of illegal entries at the border, in supporting administration of repatriation flights such as transportation of passengers returning from high risk countries as well as close contact with those with high risk of exposure to COVID-19 like emergency and ambulance personnel or working in Quarantine or Isolation stations.”
Deputy Commissioner Vaevaso adds, “The training is critical for RSIPF to ensure that our officers carry out their tasks in a safe manner for themselves and their colleagues. We have heard of front line workers around the globe contracting COVID-19 when carrying out their duties in other countries and therefore building capacity of RSIPF officers on IPC and PPE measures is critical as part of our COVID-19 preparedness and responses.”
“The training also gave the RSIPF officers a better understanding of the relationship between the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, the lead agency in the preparedness for COVID-19, as well as other agencies in the government’s overall plans to prevent any outbreak of the virus in Solomon Islands.”
“RSIPF officers who attended the training thanked the Ministry of Health and Medical Services for organizing the training making them better equipped to protect themselves while performing their frontline duties as required of them. This will not only protect themselves and their colleagues but also their family members from contracting COVID-19. Officers who attended the training are expected to pass on the knowledge and skills to their colleagues,” says DC Vaevaso.
RSIPF is working with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to organize similar training for officers in the provinces.
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