TEMOTUANS have expressed deep concern on why the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) did not quickly deploy a Radiographer to operate the x-ray machine at Lata Hospital.
This paper was informed that there is no radiographer at the Lata Hospital, since 2016.
Number of patients speaking in an exclusive interview says doctors and nurses have encountered difficulties to diagnose patients because there is no Radiographer to operate the X-ray machine.
Meanwhile, the Director of Nursing in Lata Hospital Matthew Ibe responded that his office has already made a request to the ministry, but there is no confirmation made from MHMS, on when the Radiographer will resume duty.
Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) continue to raise that National Government should not turn a blind eye to health centers in the country but this should be their priority to resource them with staff and proper machines and facilities to run the hospitals throughout the country.
Ibe stressed that another pressing issue with staff working in Lata Hospital is lack of accommodation.
This has hindered nurses and health workers who supposed to come and work in Lata, to relinquish their interests.
Since the former Radiographer resigned in 2016, he can still attend to serious cases upon request.
However, Ibe says that since there is no Radiographer to operate the X-ray machine, it is impossible for doctors and nurses to make prescription of drugs for patients, hence it sends a message to the MHMS to send a Radiographer the sooner the better.
At the moment, the only option the Hospital resort to is refer sick patients to the National Referral Hospital for X-ray.
Still, this is an avoidable option should the X-Ray machine in Lata is operational.
By ELLIOT DAWEA
TSI
In Lata