A REST house built for Taro Hospital in Choiseul has proven to be a safe haven for patients who travelled from afar seek- ing treatment at the hos- pital. The rest house is one of the many projects funded by the Provincial Gover- nance Strengthening Pro- gramme (PGSP) through its Capacity Development Fund (PCDF). PGSP is a programme ad- ministered by the Ministry of Provincial Government and Intuitional Strengthening. waiting to be referred to Gizo hospital and those who are discharged and waiting for their transport back to their various vil- lages would also rest here. “Other sick patients also come and rest here. “Patients with tubercu- losis can spend up to two weeks at the rest house while taking their medica- tion,” Ms Maduda said. She said as a result of this, the hospital also ben- efited a lot because this helps with the bed occu- pancy. “We can assess which pa- tients can rest at the rest The rest house can ac- commodate 15 patients and their relatives but can in- crease to 30. “Each week depends on the referral where it can reach 10 or less.” She said the only diffi- culty they are facing is the leaf hut kitchen that is now leaking. “We need materials so we can repair the kitchen.” Ms Maduda said that it would be best if a perma- nent kitchen can be built. At the rest house there are two tanks but when there is no rain for a week lot of us staying here.

“If not an extension then another building should be built so that the sick pa- tients can reside in one while the relatives in another. “The rest house needs a food shelf and ceiling fans,” Ms Gigiava said. It is supported by the European Union, (EU), the United Nations Capital De- velopment Fund (UNCDF), United Nations Develop- ment Program (UNDP) and the Australian Govern- ment through RAMSI with a counterpart fund from the Solomon Islands Gov- ernment. PGSP aims to develop the capacity of the minis- try and the nine provincial governments to fulfill their mandates in either deliver- ing, or coordinating with line departments for the ef- fective delivery of services. It is a 15-year project be- ing implemented in three phases of five years with the goal of reducing pov- erty in the rural areas and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Solomon Islands. The rest house’s Nurse Manager Florence Maduda said since the facility was built, it has benefited the hospital a lot. She said pregnant moth- ers who come from distance villages to give birth are of- ten accommodated in the rest house while they wait-ed for their time.

“Patients who have been referred to Taro Hospital from various health facili- ties throughout the prov- ince come and rest here while beds are given to chil- dren,” Ms Maduda said. “Mothers with eye risks waiting to be referred to Gizo hospital and those who are discharged and waiting for their transport back to their various vil- lages would also rest here. “Other sick patients also come and rest here. “Patients with tubercu- losis can spend up to two weeks at the rest house while taking their medica- tion,” Ms Maduda said. She said as a result of this, the hospital also ben- efited a lot because this helps with the bed occu- pancy.

“We can assess which pa- tients can rest at the resthouse so that the beds at the hospital are reserved for others with severe con- dition. “In taro, this rest house helps to accommodate rela- tives and family who came with sick patients to the hospital. “With this, it also helps in finance wise as they can save their money rather than spending more money when living with relatives in Taro.” Ms Maduda said relatives often help to clean up the rest house and its ablution blocks. “Relatives and patients have an understanding and therefore felt the owner- ship of the building.” She said they usually re- corded the number of fami- lies and relatives that were accommodated at the rest house. The rest house has two bedrooms, one for the women and another for the males and a living room and an ablution block. It doesn’t have a kitchen inside, no furniture and no beddings. The patients used a leaf hut kitchen built at the back. Ms Maduda said before the rest house was built, patients and relatives used a leaf hut that was built purposely for a kitchen. “At that time, we experi- enced overcrowding at the hospital,” she said.

The rest house can ac- commodate 15 patients and their relatives but can in- crease to 30. “Each week depends on the referral where it can reach 10 or less.” She said the only diffi- culty they are facing is the leaf hut kitchen that is now leaking. “We need materials so we can repair the kitchen.” Ms Maduda said that it would be best if a perma- nent kitchen can be built. At the rest house there are two tanks but when there is no rain for a week and they usually go to the mainland to fetch water. Ms Maduda acknowl- edged the donor for funding this important facility. “This has huge impact on the patients, a relief stress for our staff and patients staying at the hospital. “I hope the donors con- tinue to support us in other small projects to build a permanent kitchen or an extension to the current rest house,” she said. Meanwhile, a patient re- siding at the rest house, Drusila Likorana, who came all the way from Ca- naan Village in North Choi- seul, said she is happy to reside in the rest house. She said she does not have to pay any fee which she said save her money.

“Before this rest house was built, we face the prob- lem of accommodation. “Those who have relatives here would go and stay with them but those of us who do not have any relatives in Taro would go and stay at the hospital.” But she said if the hospi- tal is crowded they would have nowhere to go. Her husband Raymond Gigiava said he is happy that he has a place to stay while coming to Taro for medical. “I think there needs to be an extension to the current building since it was not spacious when there are a lot of us staying here. “If not an extension then another building should be built so that the sick pa- tients can reside in one while the relatives in another. “The rest house needs a food shelf and ceiling fans,” Ms Gigiava said.