The Central Honiara Constituency (CHC) officially handed over two new buses for the Honiara City Council (HCC) clinics on Friday.
The brief ceremony was held at the HCC head-office car park in Honiara.
The two buses are specially for Mataniko Pikinini Clinic and Mbokonavera Clinic to transport their health workers and sick patients.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, on behalf of the Member of Parliament (MP), Hon. Gordon Darcy Lilo, Constituency Development Officer (CDO) Rexford Paul said, CHC is the biggest constituency in Honiara.
Despite that, CHC has a heart to help clinics in its constituency, he added.
He said, three two buses will provide transport services for these clinics.
“These buses can always transport staff, sick patients as well and it’s free,” Paul said.
HCC City Clerk Justus Denni said, since joining HCC in September of 2021, its the first time he had seen such assistant and support from a MP towards HCC.
“Therefore, I, on behalf of the Lord Mayor, Cr Eddie Siapu, HCC Executive, councillors and Honiara residents, I would like to say a big thank you to CHC MP, Hon. Gordon Darcy Lilo and his office.
“Thank you for seeing this need, a need for health services for HCC in terms of transportation,” Denni said.
He added, HCC didn’t ask for this help. However, a member of CHC informed him three weeks that CHC will provide the two buses.
“And I told him that it would be a big blessing for HCC,” he said.
“We all know the struggle when it comes to catching public buses within Honiara city. We can say, because it’s unregulated, it’s also unreliable.
“It’s also costly at times, which in most cases, many health workers of HCC always arrive late in office and also leave office early to catch public transport to go home.
“But with such assistance, it will help a lot. And I believe that this is a solution for the issue of transportation and mobility for our health workers,” Denni said.
He added that although the two buses are labelled one for Mataniko Pikinini Clinic and another for Mbokonavera Clinic, they will go against that, because they might be using them for other clinics within Honiara city as well.
He urged the health workers who will be using the vehicles to use them wisely and take good care of them.
“These are free gifts, so we must take good care of them and use them for their rightful purposes,” he said.
Denni reiterated that this is a first of its kind assistance for HCC but it won’t be the last for this partnership between CHC and HCC.
He believes that the other MPs for the other two Honiara Constituencies will also come forward with similar assistance in the future.
“Let’s all continue to work together and ensure that services in Honiara are provided for our people,” he said.
HCC Provincial Health Director, Dr. Lawrence Diau expressed his heartfelt gratitude to MP Lilo for seeing the great need and stepping in.
He said one of HCC’s priority areas for this year and onwards is to have more outreaches to communities within Honiara city.
“We have been disadvantaged especially with logistics work therefore, these vehicles are a timely assistance to help us reach these communities and also to continue help with our daily services here in Honiara city.
“The two vehicles will really help these health workers in their outreach programs within Honiara city,” Dr. Diau said.
By AGNES MENANOPO
Solomon Star, Honiara
