The Ground Breaking Ceremony for The Project for the Improvement of Kilu’ufi Hospital

On October 14, the ground breaking ceremony for the Kilu’ufi Hospital Project was held at Kilu’ufi Hospital in Malaita Province. This Project aims to strengthen the function of Kilu’ufi Hospital by establishing the new central clinical building and delivery building, thereby contributing to the improvement of health services provided in Malaita province. Attendees for the ceremony from the Solomon Islands were the Minister of Health and Medical Services, Hon. Dr. Paul Popora Bosawai, Permanent Secretary, Ms. Pauline McNeil, and their ministry officials, Mr. Randol Sifoni, Deputy Premier of Malaita Province, and representatives from MFT, MNPDC, and MPS. The Japanese delegation included HE. Ambassador MIWA Yoshiaki, JICA resident representative Mr. Watanabe, and representatives from Fukunaga Architects-Engineers and the executive from Kitano Construction.

In his speech, Ambassador Miwa stated, " It is extremely significant to establish a medical service system in Malaita, the most populous province in the Solomon Islands, which aligns with the 'Universal Health Coverage (UHC)' mentioned in the PALM 10 leaders' declaration held in Tokyo this year." He highlighted that “there is enormous scope for utilizing Japan's experience and expertise in healthcare, which has been developed through the history of addressing the challenges of acute infectious diseases such as cholera, plague and dysentery, chronic infectious diseases, infant and maternal mortality, NCDs and others." He also noted, “The government of Solomon Islands is concerned for the increase in malaria and NCDs, in recent years, and we would like to cooperate to ensure that the extension of Kilu’ufi Hospital is an initiative that meets the expectations of the government of Solomon Islands.

Minister Hon. Dr. Bosawai said that, "The improvement of Kilu’ufi Hospital is more than just a physical expansion. It is a symbol of the unwavering dedication of the Solomon Islands Government, in partnership with the Government of Japan, to ensuring that our people in Malaita have access to quality healthcare close to home without financial hardship or burden of traveling to Honiara. On behalf of the Solomon government, I extend my deepest gratitude to the Government and people of Japan."