The South Choiseul Constituency Office has provided crucial hardware materials for the construction of a staff house at Sepa Clinic, addressing an urgent need raised by the clinic committee.
Delivered by LC Fair King on November 22, 2024, the materials were handed over at Qiu Village to the Sepa Clinic Committee Chairperson, Joseph Sasapitu, by Constituency Development Committee (CDC) member Stanley Lubara Zengo, representing Viviru Ward.
The support comes at a critical time as the clinic, serving the catchment villages of Boe, Ghoe, Sepa, Qiu, and Banganoe, faced the risk of losing its nursing services due to a lack of accommodation, a statement from the Constituency Office says.
The Sepa Clinic Committee, after recognizing the urgency, dispatched a two-man delegation to the South Choiseul Constituency Office to request assistance. Their appeal highlighted the pressing need for a staff house to retain the nurse and ensure the continuity of healthcare services in the area.
Upon receiving the materials, Sasapitu expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Constituency Office, the Member of Parliament for South Choiseul, Hon. Tozen Leokana, and the CDC for endorsing the project.
He noted that the community had already prepared timber for the construction and would now move forward to erect the column posts. Labour for the project will be provided as a community contribution, demonstrating the collective commitment of the villagers to improving their health services.
The SCC Office emphasized that this project aligns with the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2016–2035, specifically Objective 2, which focuses on improving access to quality health and education for all Solomon Islanders. Adequate housing for healthcare workers is a critical factor in retaining their services, ensuring consistent healthcare delivery, and improving the quality of life in rural and remote areas.
This year, the CDC approved support for health services, with the Sepa Clinic staff house project receiving the sole allocation in recognition of its importance. The SCC Office also acknowledged the contribution of landowning Chief Philip Bavare, who registered his consent for the project site, enabling the development to proceed smoothly.
Additionally, the SCC Office extended special thanks to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Solomon Islands for chartering LC Fair King. This partnership significantly reduced logistics costs, enabling the Constituency to deliver essential Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects like this one.
With the materials now in place, the Sepa Clinic staff house project marks a significant step toward securing reliable healthcare services for the catchment villages and demonstrates the power of collaborative efforts between the Constituency, the clinic committee, and the community.
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