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Health services during lockdown period

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PS Pauline McNeil and part of her team during yesterday's meeting with the press.
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Sunday 29th August 6pm to Tuesday 31st August, 6am.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) would like to reiterate again key information pertaining to its services within the lockdown zones from Poha, West of Honiara to Alligator Creek in the East during the lockdown period.

During the lockdown period, all clinics within Honiara, Naha, Kukum, Mataniko, Pikinini, Dental, Mbokona, Rove, Seif Ples and White River clinics will remain open with medical doctors present in these clinics to support the nurses, carry out diagnosis, and treatment. Referrals for any emergency cases to the National Referral Hospital (NRH) will be made from these clinics.  This is critical in ensuring that during the lockdown simulation exercise, health services continue to be in operation and maintained.

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Additional sites to provide outpatient and treatment, are at Burns Creek school and SINU Panatina campus clinic, currently used as the Youth Friendly Clinic .

The Only two Honiara clinics that will be closed during lockdown are Vura and Mbokonavera clinics.

The public are advised that since lockdown will not permit anyone from moving around in public spaces, If there is a sick person that needs to be moved to the nearest clinic as soon as possible and or for emergency, please contact St John Ambulance on phone 111 or 911. Otherwise call Police Operations Centre on phone 999 and inform them of your need to reach which clinic and use private vehicle. Similarly, once stopped by police at check points inform them of your need to reach the clinic.

For all other referrals to NRH outside of the lockdown zones, the National Health Emergency Operations Centre will be coordinating with its provincial health directors for smooth transfer and the Police Commissioner for authorizing entry into Honiara.

That said, the Ministry would like to reiterate the following key information with regards to the operation of our NRH.

All, outpatient services will be closed which includes the following.

  1. Specialist consultation clinics
  2. Ear Nose Threat ENT clinic
  3. Diabetic and NCD Clinics
  4. Oncology clinic
  5. Ward review and dressings.

Those that will continue to provide services includes;

  1. Inpatient care,
  2. Urgent and emergency surgery
  3. Labour ward

The NRH Emergency department will be open for urgent and emergency services such as;

  1. Shortness of breath
  2. Chest pains
  3. Severe headaches
  4. Painful boil
  5. Severe abdominal pain especially not relieved by paracetamol
  6. High fevers and sick & injuries
  7. X-ray, laboratory and pharmacy will only be open for urgent cases only.

All Guadalcanal and Honiara residents and visitors if not feeling well must first present themselves to their nearest local clinics and only upon referral will be allowed to come to the NRH.

With regards, to mentally ill persons roaming the streets during lockdown, they will be brought to NRH where they will be taken care of. However, families are also encouraged to provide care for these individuals and call health authorities if assistance is needed to look after them.  

As advised throughout the week, those who require medication should have by now stock up their medicines to cater for the lockdown period. Otherwise, you can call health emergency phone numbers below.

The Ministry sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause however; it will be treating the exercise as real therefore implementation of all its protocols, procedures and so forth will be strictly adhered to as this will be useful to inform enhancement of health operations during an actual real lockdown from a real community transmission of COVID-19.

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