Indeed she had done a lot for this country without much recognition for her work all these years.
Late Dr Junilyn was the country’s first female medical doctor.
It was a indeed a loss for this country and the medical profession.
Many speakers spoke highly of her during the funeral service on Thursday before her buriel at Betikama cemetery.
During the funeral service Governor General Sir Frank Kabui and wife, Minister of Health Charles Sigoto and Permanent Secretary Dr Lester Ross with other permanent secretaries were present.
Their presence gets to signal the respect the country had for this woman.
Minister Sigoto said the nation lost one of its first and finest female doctors, someone who’s done a lot for women and children, and the pioneer behind the Reproductive Health Division in the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.
“Dr Junilyn was indeed a friend to all and a very instrumental figure in the medical arena not only in the country but throughout the entire Asia Pacific region,” Mr Sigoto said.
“She was a medical pioneer and the founder and instigator of the Reproductive Health Division that we now have in the Ministry of Health,” he said.
Dr Junilyn Pikacha graduated in the field of medicine in 1978 with a Bachelor in Surgery and Medicine (MBBS) from the University of Papua New Guinea.
A former National Director of Nursing Services Albert Noel Punufimana recently acknowledged that within the medical field, the first Solomon Island woman doctor was the late Dr Junilyn.
He said that in the past all of the positions within its departments were held by expatriate women but there were few Solomon Islands women who progressed through the hierarchy to take over from these expatriate women.
“Within the medical field, the first Solomon Island women doctor was the Dr Junilyn Pikacha,” he said.
Late Junilyn was born on December 25 , 1952.
She was the first born child in the family of nine.
At the time of birth her father Paul Galo was a school teacher at Ruruvai Primary School.
Between 1954 and 1957 they moved to Papua New Guinea where her late father taught at Konkavul SDA District School, New Hanover, New Ireland Mission, North Bismarck Mission, PNG.
And so for these years, she attained her education in PNG.
While in PNG she recalled that all the national children go in the bus.
However her dad did not have enough money to pay for bus fare so she and her brothers and sister would walk to school.
“One day Mrs Mitchell paid for ticket to get on the bus so we had the pleasure of riding on the bus to school even though we were poor we were happy to walk to school it was fun chasing the bus coming to think of it later on that’s how poor we were,” late Dr Junilyn said through her eulogy.
Part of the fees were paid by Mrs Mitchell and she struggled through school.
Lunch for school was simple.
The family did not have money so they just had potatoe.
Mum Noge would say put potato inside the lunch, sometimes nothing at all.
They would had a half orange tree in the yard and would made juice from this by adding sugar and took that to school
“School uniform was our best clothes we would wear the uniform to school and church I got really hurt, one Sabbath I did not want to attend church.
“I did not want to hurt dad so I stayed in the room and started crying and dad asked what was wrong.
“I don’t want to go to church because I don’t want to wear my uniform to church so dad went to the dorcas welfare room, took a big skirt and undid the seams and made trousers and a dress for me so the three of us wore something different to church,” the eulogy read.
Between 1967-1970 late Dr Junilyn attended Kambubu secondary school.
“Going to mission school was the best thing that could have been done for me,” she recalled in the eulogy.
It was at Kambubu that her husband Dr Douglas transferred in from Betikama high school.
In 1971 she spent one year at Sopas nursing school, in the highlands and did extremely well.
As a result the following year got a scholarship to do medicine at UPNG.
Between 1972 to 1978 she attended the University of PNG in Port Moresby to study medical.
In 1973 she got married and the first child Patrick was born in 1974.
Nola the second child was born in 1978 during her final year at University.
Late Dr Junilyn graduated from the UPNG in 1978, as the first female medical doctor for the Solomon Islands.
In 1979, she served at Noga Base Hospital in Rabaul while Dr Douglas served as the registrar.
A year later they moved to Kimbe and Biala in New Britain.
She was the only doctor working with one health officer.
Sometimes she went along to places where there was no male doctors and in some places she was alone.
She returned to Rabaul later that year and signed her papers and got her registration.
In 1981 late Dr Junilyn assisted her husband at, Kerema as one of two doctors.
There was no hospital driver so Dr Douglas was hospital driver and x-ray man.
Her favourite speciality was surgery but she could not see them both doing surgery so she chose to concentrate on obstetrics and gynaecology (OB) while Dr Douglas concentrate on surgery.
It was at the end of 1981 that the family return to the Solomon Islands after 28 years in PNG.
Between 1982 and 1984 the family served at Atoifi.
Late Dr Junilyn served with husband at Atoifi Adventist Hospital, serving the people of East Kwaio, and the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
In 1985 they moved to Honiara and worked at the central hospital.
Late Dr Junilyn worked at the Obs and gynae department
From August 1987 to December 1988, the Pikacha family went over to Honolulu, Hawaii.
Both of them studied at the University of Hawaii and both complete their masters in public health at the east west Centre
They had to bring the two kids along with them at their our own expense.
But the Lord led them as a family then to provide for their needs.
At the end of 1988 the family returned to Solomon Islands and between 1989 to 2009 late Dr Junilyn served at the reproductive health department.
She was the Director of Maternal and Child Health that became Reproductive and Child Health now.
This reproductive health unit was like her baby and she nurtured it over the years.
In October 3, 1992 another member of the family, Douglas Jnr joined them.
Patrick and Nola recalled that it was a pleasant surprise for them because both of them were at high school.
During all these years late Dr Junilyn worked hard to bring changes to the department of reproductive health through her experience and Lord’s leading.
She was also instrumental in the involvement of men in reproductive health.
This was evident in arranging for local male nurses to travel and undergo reproductive health training in Fiji.
She attended alot of training overseas and upon her return she implement programs.
She was also busy visiting the provinces to help promote the reproductive health.
For some years, she operated a private clinic which focused on women’s health problem.
Through her medical service and advice a number of women had been able to seek proper medication and live on until today.
Her passing away had sudden many women who had come to know her as a patient, friend and colleague.
It was in 2008 that she was diagnosed with cancer and had first operation at St Vincent.
She had her second operations November last year.
One year after on 10 November, 12:45am she passed away peaceful in her own room at Panatina with family present after 37 years of marriage.
She serving the country for 21 years in Reproductive Health role, 25 years of service to the country and 28 years of total service as a medical doctor.
She was 57 years old just a month away before her next birthday on the Christmas day.
Late Dr Junilyn had indeed left a legacy which cannot be matched by anyone else.
Her children and husband recalled that their mother and wife had indeed left a gap in their home.
But her teachings, lifestyle and principles will always remain in their hearts in order to follow and carry on.
Dr Douglas is currently a chief surgeon at the national referral hospital while the daughter Dr Nola is an eye doctor.
Goodbye mum, wife, aunty, grandma, sister, niece, relative, friend, colleague and a pioneer female doctor for this country.
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