TWO operating theatres at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara will remain close after renovation work failed to bring up the theatres to the approved standard.
The Commissioner of Labour closed the theatres last December due to their poor conditions.
Hospital authorities were given a month to fix the problem.
But a local contractor tasked to renovate the theatres failed in its first job and the Commissioner of Labour gave hospital authorities in January another two months to address the situation.
Last Friday, officials from the Labour Division visited the theatres again to check on the work being done.
But they discovered that the renovation work has again failed to meet the required standard.
The Labour Division then ordered that the theatres remained closed until the problems are fixed.
The closure has forced a medical team from Australia scheduled to visit the hospital next week to carry out life-saving surgeries on children to postpone the visit.
Earlier, a local businessman Justin Fuo’o, the owner of Tropic Glasses and Aluminium (TGA), offered to renovate the theatres at his own cost but his offer was turned down because hospital authorities have already secured the service of a local contractor.
Hospital insiders told the Solomon Star work done by the contracted company was below par.
Failures include the lighting system in the theatres, switches, tiling, water, and not to mention the door which was supposed to be a led-door not the normal one like the one that the contractor has put up.
This is the second time that NRH has failed to meet time required standard requested by the Labour Division.
The situation will likely further delay life-saving surgeries.
Comments are being sought from the hospital’s chief executive officer.
By BIRIAU WILSON SAENI
