Honiara - National Referral Hospital
The National Referral Hospital or NRH is the largest hospital in the Solomon Islands with 350 beds.
Thanks to Dr. Hermann Oberli, who brought primary care and traumatology up to date some 20 years ago, all residents of the Solomon Islands benefit from him.
Dr. Oberli is a very respected physician - both in the Solomon Islands and in Switzerland.
For many years, Dr. Oberli has trained physicians in the Solomon Islands together with international surgeons, gynecologists, orthopedists and traumatologists.
Read more here Hermann Oberli Project South Pacific
On 10.02.2016, Dr. Oberli told me on the phone that the entire OR wing at NRH is closed - and has been for some time! The reason for this is that the roof is leaking so badly that it is in danger of collapsing. Already last year, attention was drawn to this deplorable state of affairs, but apart from packing paper being stuffed into the holes by the doctors, nothing was done. Or rather, no one felt responsible. The consequence of this is the closed surgical wing. Patients can neither receive regular nor emergency surgical care.A disaster! Dr. Oberli is very angry about this. Read the article in the newspaper Solomon Star
Dr. Oberli sent a letter to the editor, which was published in the Freiburger Nachrichten, to the Solomon Star.
Read here the whole letter to the editor - article Dr. Oberli
On 05.04.2016 an article appeared in the Solomon Star that the "repair work" on the roof of the surgery department was more than poorly executed. An Australian medical team that was supposed to come to Honiara for life-saving operations had to postpone the operations indefinitely - an absolute catastrophe for the population!!!! Especially since a businessman had offered to have all repairs including the material done at his expense. The offer was rejected by the hospital management, they would have concluded a contract with a local company.....Read more here Article Solomon Star from 05.04.2016
When I spoke to Dr. Des Soares on the phone on 05/04/2016, he also told me about this - he is horrified by it. Even for him, who regularly flies to Honiara to train doctors, this is an untenable situation.
I hope and wish that this will be remedied quickly - all international aid organizations are in Honiara and none of them, for whatever reason, sees itself in a position to intervene and have the people treated by medical teams.
The Australian organization RAMSI has its own team of doctors and nurses who are always on site for the RAMSI teams (including a mobile treatment container) - BUT, this team of doctors and nurses is officially NOT allowed to treat local patients. There is no order for this.... Of course, the doctors are still at NRH and support the doctors there. But - it can not be operated.
11.05.2016
The government realized that the hospital could not go on like this and contracted land for a NEW hospital first. Read more about it here in the Solomon Star. I think Dr. Oberli's intervention has awakened some....
30.06.2016
In early June, Dr. Des Soares was at NRH with other orthopedic surgeons from Australia to train physicians in spine surgery. Read more about it report Solomon Star
Honiara 2 years after the natural disaster
On April 5, 2014, part of Honiara and surrounding regions were devastated by a massive spring tide, followed within 24 hours by an earthquake and tsunami.
Of the approximately 60,000 inhabitants, 200 people, including many children, lost their lives. According to official figures, this left 36,000 people homeless in one fell swoop.
International aid organizations are still taking care of these people today. Not all of them have their own homes again and have to continue living in emergency shelters.
In the post picture gallery Honiara some photos about it.