Malaria cases increase in Honiara
There has been a drop in malaria cases in Honiara for some time. Photo: CDC
After a drop in Malaria cases for the past few years, a number of clinics and private pharmacies in Honiara are seeing an increase following the recent bad weather.
SIBC Online today randomly spoke to a number of Honiara City Clinics and private pharmacies and they confirmed seeing an increase.
Nurses from the Mbokonavera Clinic said they recorded more than ten cases of malaria this week while the Rove Clinic staff also expressed similar concerns.
A senior Pharmacist from the Hyperchem Pharmacy Solomons, Ken Woollett told SIBC this morning they received more people this week for malaria testing as they offer free check-ups.
He said they also recorded a number of dengue cases.
Meanwhile, North Malaita residents have expressed concerns over medicine shortages currently experienced in the region.
A number of medical consultations at clinics in the region discovered the shortage.
SIBC stringer in North Malaita John Andrew Kiri reported.
“They called in at Fuabu clinic and there’s no medicine, then they come to Arao clinic and there is no medicine. Then they came to Fo’ondo clinic and still there’s no medicine.
“Then they came to Bita’ama clinic and i met them yesterday and asked the the nurse in charge at the clinic. He said there’s no medicine too at Bita’ama clinic. They rushed to Malu’u clinic and even there we heard there is no medicine too.
“So the medicine shortage started before Christmas and made a lot of people worried.”
SIBC Online was reliably informed that even the National Medical Stores in Honiara are unable to solve this ongoing drug shortage.
Malaita provincial health authorities said they are aware of the shortage as it is an ongoing issue, proven difficult to solve even by the national government.
By: Charlie Salini and Charley Piringi