By Campion Ohasio
In December 2024, my life changed forever. I was at Bahai when I suddenly experienced severe chest and back pain. Everything was going dark, and by 7.30pm that evening, I found myself in the hospital surrounded by worried faces.
After a series of tests and weeks of waiting, the result of my CD scan finally arrived, the doctors told me something I never expected to hear, I had severe coronary artery disease. My heart arteries were badly blocked at three spots, and the blood flow to my heart was dangerously low. The cause, they explained, was the result of years of unhealthy living; eating oily and junk food, smoking, drinking alcohol, and chewing betel nut.
Since December, I was put on heavy medication to keep me alive while I went back for regular medical reviews. Every pill I swallowed was a reminder that my heart may collapse at any-time. I knew deep down that without a permanent solution, my time maybe running out. However, I kept a strong positive faith, prayed a lot and forever grateful to my wife and family for their prayers and support.
On September 2nd, 2025, that solution finally came. I became the first person in Solomon Islands to undergo a stent operation at our newly established heart clinic at the National Referral Hospital.
A stent operation is a medical procedure where doctors insert a small tube into a blocked artery in the heart to keep it open. This allows blood to flow freely again. Itβs a delicate and life-saving surgery.
Before this heart clinic was set up, patients like me had to travel overseas for treatment, spending thousands of dollars; something most families in our country could never afford. But now, thanks to the Peopleβs Republic of China (PRC), this surgery is available right here at home, and it is free of charge.
As I lay on the operating table, I prayed silently. I trusted the team of Chinese specialists and our hardworking local doctors and nurses. I was fully awake during the operation, peeping at the monitors every now and then while taking it all in; the mild pain; feeling the catheter (cable) in your body and the mild pain and heat in you chest as the doctors do their thing with my poor heart. But I felt a deep sense of relief in the knowledge that I’m on my way to recovery. Now for the first time in months, my heart felt stronger, and I knew my life had been given back to me.
I cannot express enough gratitude to the Chinese medical team, our local heart doctors, and the dedicated nurses at the National Referral Hospital. Their skill, care, and sacrifice have brought hope to me and to many other Solomon Islanders who face the same struggle.
This experience has also taught me a powerful lesson; our lifestyle choices matter. I urge everyone to take their heart health seriously. Avoid smoking, drinking, betel nut chewing, and unhealthy eating. These habits nearly cost me my life.
Today, I am alive and recovering. I am living proof that world-class healthcare is now within our reach. What was once a distant dream; having advanced heart surgery done in our own country; is now a reality.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who made this possible. This is not just my story; it is a story of hope for all Solomon Islanders.
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