COVER STORY
Artist impression of the Naha Birthing and Urban Health Centre.
$27M Birthing Facility Construction of new urban birthing facility underway in Honiara BY ESTHER NURIA Honiara Solomon Islands
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iving birth to an unborn child poses a huge survival risk for women and mothers and the chances of survival of either the mother or the baby is uncertain and cannot possibly be guaranteed. In developing countries like the Solomon Islands where most health centers around the country are ill equipped and at most times lack the necessary capabilities, a hundred percent guarantee of a successful childbirth is always uncertain. The need for advanced birthing facilities within urban centres in Solomon Islands is necessary to ensure women and mothers and even families are treated with better healthcare services. In the Solomon Islands, communities situated at distant proximity to urban healthcare centres are the most vulnerable since they receive less or no medical attention at all. Access to adequate health services in the country is a major challenge therefore the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in Solomon Islands has set out to change this and
better improve the facilities at urban healthcare centres. This article features the newly proposed Naha birthing unit that will be located at the east of Honiara, which is now under construction. The new birthing unit itself will be a gamechanging development that will serve a lot of people especially in the eastern part of Honiara, an area which is mostly densely populated. In an exclusive interview with PT Magazine; the contractor Mr. Pethwel Bako Dua described the building which his company has been contracted to build as an important health facility that should be located at both the Eastern, Central and Western centres of Honiara. Mr. Bako said building an SBD$27 Million birthing facility is a first of its kind for his company, compared to its size and financing. Pethwel described the day he got the news that he had won the contract as the day he had been assigned to a very important yet tough task and that he had to deliver not only for his company but for the sake of the people who would benefit
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