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Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) tonight stunning reveals that five avoidable deaths happened at the National Referral Hospital over the weekend due to declining services as more focus is turned to covid-19 preparedness.
In a statement tonight, TSI says more focus and emphasis were on covid-19 preparedness that leads to almost every resource committed for the health sector were allocated to programs and activities related to corona virus preparation and containment.
“This is to the detriment of normal health services. This in turn neglect all other essential life-saving services provided at NRH resulting in more frustrations among sick patients and exerting more pressures on medical staff, who work with limited resources to meet the treatment needs of the sick.
“It was revealed that because of declining health services at NRH, there were five avoidable deaths last weekend. The contributing factor to this is lack of adequate resources at the hospital since all the high-tech equipment and manpower were shifted to the quarantine centers at Henderson. Had the health services at NRH not affected by the shift of manpower and clinical services to the quarantine centers, those five deaths could have been avoided,” the statement said.
TSI claims that this was the revelation from one of the medical doctors who admitted that those deaths last weekend were issues to do with closure of normal clinical services at NRH, denying those deceased follow up on medical reviews to check on their health status.
“Hence, by the time they return it was too late since their conditions were worse and beyond what nurses and doctors could do to help treat their sick. This is the reality of the health services at NRH. It is therefore responsible for the Management of the Ministry of Health and Medical Service man up and to admit and acknowledge that COVID 19 responses in terms of reallocation of resources does impact on services provided to people of Solomon Islands at the National Referral Hospital and out in the rural areas,” TSI says.
News@SBMOnline2020
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