Transcript
More than two months after Cyclone Pam, Vanuatu's main hospital is still struggling to cope with increased referrals from outer islands where 80 percent of health aid posts were destroyed or damaged.
The Medical Superintendent at the Vila Central Hospital says the situation has been aggravated by staff shortages.
Richard Leona told Koroi Hawkins the assistance of UN agencies and overseas medical personnel is providing some respite but longer term solutions must be found.
RICHARD LEONA: The current situation at Vila Central Hospital at the moment has been normalised after the response to huge demand after the Cyclone Pam. However we still have an ongoing challenges because even though things have normalised but we have an increased number of patients coming from the provinces. Because of the infrastructure in the provinces have been damaged. So we are now getting more referrals after the cyclone. So we have got the challenge of human resources at the nursing level and also in the X-ray department. So that is our concern at this stage.
KOROI HAWKINS: And the damage you are talking about I understand that almost like 80 percent or something of the infrastructure for aid posts or health clinics were damaged. This is what is causing this influx?
RL: Definitely we are getting, yes there has been about infrastructure damage which has been in the mainly the provinces of Tafea and about 50 percent of the infrastructure within the SHEFA province has been damaged.
KH: And the temporary reconstruction on the damaged wards has there been any progress on a more permanent or fuller reconstruction?
RL: No, no we haven't had any permanent repairs or rebuilding of the wards. However we still have some, the corridors that still needs to be repaired and that has not been carried out.
KH: Finally any critical needs at the moment, in relation to not just Cyclone Pam but your own operation?
RL: Our need is mainly we are in the need of finance, we need financial support to continue to sustain the hospital. We have allowances, staff allowances not being paid. We have some of our staff's on contracts that will be ending soon and some we are trying to get their contracts going down to the end of the year and we need more staff in some areas. So we need funding I think funding is the priority that will help us.
Dr Leona says the hospital administration's budget has also been severely depleted and wards damaged by the cyclone are still in need of proper reconstruction and repairs.
