By Lionel Taorao
Isles Media Freelance Reporter In Ulawa
A community leader on Ulawa Island in the Makira Ulawa province is calling on relevant health authorities to improve the Taheramo Area Health Center malaria technician working area as it was now in a degrading state and no longer fit for use.
Chief Douglas Teaitala made the call during a consultation meeting held by the Makira Ulawa province Area manager for the Vector-borne disease control program at Taheramo clinic area on Tuesday 7th September.
Chief Douglas told the vector-borne Area manager that the current state of the small leaf thatched roof the malaria technician is using is no longer suitable for work and should be improved immediately.
“I want to call on your good division to make sure that you take into consideration the current state of the small sago palm roof thatched building our malaria technician is using for work so that it can be upgraded”, he says.
“I believe if the program can secure funds for the building of its new staff house here at Taheramo area, it can also secure funding for the improvement of the working area for our hardworking malaria technician as well”, chief Douglas added.
The malaria technician himself during the meeting also shared the same sentiments and asked the MUP vector-borne disease control programme area manager to must do something about the issue raised and see that his sector is well equipped in terms of equipment.
“As you have seen for yourself now that my working area needs upgrading as it does not meet requirements because there is no sink, no water available at my working room and the building I am currently using is now degraded, the walls now rot and floors too are rot, you must ensure that these things are taken into consideration seriously”, the malaria technician Mr. Venasio Hou said.
Mr. Hou said that his health is at risk because there is no sink and lack of water for washing of hands and other equipments used since in his line of work, he is working with chemicals.
“it is not safer for me to work here because of the fact that there is no water available for handwashing as I am using chemicals in my work and the lack of no water for washing hands poses risks to my health”, he further adds.
Mr. Venasio Hou says that he is very concerned why the responsible authorities have failed to improve such facilities on Ulawa Island compared to Makira Island where many of the clinics there have well set up facilities.
“Places like Tawaraha clinic, Parego clinic, and other clinics on Makira have well set up facilities for malaria technicians there to work in compared to those here on Ulawa. I don’t why but that’s true”, he added.
The small two-room building he used was built in 2005 to accommodate a storage room which he did not use for quite a long time now and the working area as a lab.
