28 February 2014
From the High Commissioner's Desk - Out and About in Makira
This week I had the opportunity to visit Kirakira in Makira province. My aim for the trip was to begin understanding some of the challenges facing communities in the provinces.
My first impression as we flew into Makira was of natural beauty extending as far as the eye could see. Nestled in a bay, Kirakira emerged out of the Makira mountain ranges surrounded by blue sea and dense forest.
As we walked around the town, I also began to get a sense of the challenges its hard-working people face in accessing services every day. I was interested to learn more about how the people of Kirakira are working with the Solomon Islands Government and donors to overcome these challenges.
At the Kirakira Hospital, head nurse John Harara told us that access to medicines and medical equipment were ongoing challenges, although Australia’s assistance to the National Medical Store seems to make a big difference. John also highlighted the shortage of doctors across Solomon Islands.
I was inspired to meet two medical students from Bond University in Queensland and their supervising doctor, Professor Peter Jones. They are part of a program between Bond University and Kirakira Hospital that enables Australian doctors and medical students to provide much-needed medical care in Makira while providing the students with a rich and rewarding learning opportunity. Meeting Peter and his students, and hearing about the challenges they face every day as the only doctors currently working in Makira, really was a privilege.
At FM Campbell School it was wonderful to see the bright young faces of well-dressed children focussed on learning. With Australian assistance, students at the school can now learn basic IT skills on seven new computers. I hope that more students will be able to take advantage of programs like this in coming years.
I was also privileged to visit the local police station in Kirakira, in the company of RAMSI’s PPF Commander Greg Harrigan and RSIPF Assistant Commissioner for Provincial Operations, Selwyn Rotu. I was pleased to see that RAMSI has built smart new homes for local RSIPF officers in Makira, meaning there are more officers on the ground, more of the time. Law and order is essential for economic growth and stability, so it’s great to see the work that RAMSI and the RSIPF are doing together to help improve policing in the provinces.
I learned a lot from my visit to Kirakira and look forward to visiting all the provinces of Solomon Islands in the coming years. I would like to thank everyone who welcomed us so warmly into their community - including Premier Thomas Weipe, local police officers, staff at the Kirakira hospital and staff and students at the FM Campbell School.
Australian High Commissioner Andrew Byrne visited Kirakira in Makira Province last Friday.