Govt Targets Training 58 Doctors a Year to Meet moderate WHO Ratio by 2031

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Govt Targets Training 58 Doctors a Year to Meet moderate WHO Ratio by 2031

The Government plans to train 58 new doctors each year at a cost of $358 million until 2031 in an effort to meet a moderate World Health Organization (WHO) workforce benchmark, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services told Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this week.

Permanent Secretary Pauline McNeil said the Solomon Islands currently has around 22 health workers per 10,000 people, which is below the WHO’s recommended ratio.

The WHO standard of 44 health workers per 10,000 population includes doctors, nurses and midwives.
However, McNeil said the Ministry is aiming for a moderate level of 30 per 10,000 by 2031.

“In our calculation of how many we need to train, we would like to reach 30 per 10,000 — a moderate rate. The 44 benchmark may be too high in terms of budget,” she told the PAC.

McNeil was responding to questions from West Kwara’ae MP Alfred Tuasulia.

She said the Ministry’s 2024 establishment shows the country sitting at less than 22 per 10,000, well below both the moderate and ideal targets.

To close the gap, the Ministry estimates it will need to train 407 new undergraduate doctors between now and 2031, averaging 58 per year.

The PS also noted that 113 Solomon Islanders are currently undergoing medical training in various institutions.

McNeil said the Ministry has held discussions with SITESA, which confirmed that medical studies for doctors remain open, although the annual intake will fall short of the ideal 58 per year.

PAC Chair and Central Honiara MP encouraged the Ministry to formally submit its proposal, saying it is crucial to expand the national medical workforce in line with the country’s growing population.