22 November 2013
Pharmacy Graduates Ready to Make a Difference
Seventeen Solomon Islands students graduated from the two-year national pharmacy officer training course on Friday at a special ceremony in Honiara.
The graduation ceremony was attended by Dr Cedric Alependava, Undersecretary, Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), Selwyn Hou, Director of Nursing National Referral Hospital, Timmy Manea, Director of Pharmacy Division, MHMS, Willie Horoto from National Medical Stores and Australian Aid Program Health Manager, David Kelly.
The Australian Government is a long term supporter of the training course and provided SBD400, 000 to fund the program in 2013, along with Australian Volunteers and Technical Officers to assist with training.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Cedric Alepandava thanked Australia for the technical and financial support for making the dreams of the students come true.
Joseph Houmawana, 24, is one graduate making his dreams come true as the first person in his family to study in healthcare.
“Pharmacy is a very special and practical community service. When you give people information and medicine you give them courage and they feel safe and at home even if they are sick”, Joseph said.
Joseph and his peers now join 40 other pharmacy officers at the National Referral Hospital and provincial health centres around the country who are working hard to deliver essential medicines to all Solomon Islanders.
Today, the National Medical Stores has a 94 per cent stock rate of critical essential medicines, up from just 73 per cent in 2010. And so far this year, the National Medical Stores has delivered 14.4 million antibiotics, 107,000 anti malarial medications and 39,000 oral rehydration salts to the National Referral Hospital and provincial medical stores.
Training pharmacist Jayms Faneagalo has been key to the success of the training program, with Solomon Islands one of the only Pacific Island countries to train its own pharmacy officers.