5 August 2013
Opening of Seghe National Medical Store boosts health services for Marovo area
More than 20,000 people in the Marovo area in Western Province now have better access to essential medicine and equipment with the opening of a new pharmacy at Seghe’s Area Health Clinic.
The opening of the new pharmacy will provide enough drugs and medical equipment to support 13 clinics in the area, as well as the Seghe Area Health Centre in the Marovo area.
The Solomon Islands Minister for Health and Medical Services, Charles Sigoto was joined for the opening by Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Matt Anderson and the new Head of AusAID in country, Ms Sue Connell. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Lester Ross and key officials from the Ministry, along with staff from the Seghe Area Health Store and local community also joined the celebrations.
Mr Anderson said he was proud to be part of the Seghe celebrations.
“We celebrate the opening of a new pharmacy but more importantly, we celebrate what this means for the Seghe community and how it will help improve health services to the wider community,” he said.
Mr Anderson said new pharmacy, together with the use of mobile technology to support health delivery, is going to be critical to help Solomon Islands enjoy better quality of health care into the future.
“The new pharmacy provides communities with better access to essential medicine, which in turn will help keep people and communities healthy. The pharmacy - and others around the country - are being supported by an innovative pilot using ipad tablet computers to roll-out an electronic inventory system which will fundamentally improve health delivery in Solomon Island over the long term,” Mr Anderson said.
“The pilot provides real time records of pharmaceutical levels in provinces, improves ordering efficiency so pharmacies are not without enough stock, provides improved stock management and forecasting and allows the Ministry to track movement of medical supplies to primary health care clinics.”
“Six sites have been selected for the pilot, with a further 14 sites to be included in the next stage to help get more essential medicine to the clinics and nurse aid posts in a timely manner,” Mr Anderson said.
Mr Anderson said keeping pharmacy stocks filled and medicine supplied is an enormous job.
“Currently all pharmacy orders from provincial centres are prepared manually, with paper order forms sent by air, ship or truck. This costs time and money, as well as risks orders being damaged or lost. These efficiencies will ultimately save money and improve transparency of stock and movement throughout the country.”
Mr Anderson said Australia’s support is delivered through the Solomon Islands – Australia Partnership for Development which is making a real difference to improving the quality and access to basic health care for all Solomon Islanders.
“Australia’s support underpins the Solomon Islands Government’s own strategic health plan and our funding of SBD$675 million (A$90 million) over the next four years is helping Solomon Islands deliver this plan.”
“The Partnership is helping mothers and children be healthy, control malaria and combat infectious diseases, build a skilled health workforce, as well as increase medicine supplies at health clinics and improve access to health facilities.”
The Seghe pharmacy is the latest addition to the network of second level medical stores. New pharmacies have already been opened in KiraKira (Makira Province), Susubona (Isabel Province) and Afio (Malaita Province), with work to soon start on a new pharmacy at Tulagi Hospital (Central Province). These stores are part of a nation-wide network of 20 provincial medical stores which are staffed and managed by the Pharmacy Division of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.
The distribution of drugs to provincial pharmacies is managed by the Division’s National Medical Stores which is responsible for the procurement and distribution of all drugs and medical supplies throughout Solomon Islands. The pharmacies are supplied by National Medical Stores in Honiara, and in turn, they supply the clinics and aid posts in their region, helping to improve the health system.