BY JOHN CHRISMA
FOX Bay Clinic, a remote health care center where the rural population go for medical care, is still closing its doors after 2 years.
Since 2020, the rural clinic in West Guadalcanal, in the country has closed due to continued poor medical resources (no medical supplies) and the deteriorating physical structure of the building.
Fox Bay Village Chief, William Kara told Sunday Isles that the clinic has been underfunded and not operational to provide quality healthcare and save lives in our community.
“With emergency services not available and primary health care clinics often a farther away…it comes to a critical point to say that we are already losing our valuable healthcare access within our rural home community that can care and save lives.
“The majority of rural dwellers from Fox Bay today have received medical treatment at neighboring rural clinics in Wanderer Bay and Tangarare,” Kara said. “Since the closure, we have to travel long distances and spend money to hire and fuel Out Boat Motors (OMBs) to access immediate medical treatment.
“The clinic was built, way back in 1982 and frequently not resourced like other clinics in the region.”
He said due to the closure, there are tragic consequences for the local community.
“The rural community know all too well what it feels like to have no clinic and emergency care when they break a leg, go into early labor, etc.
“The closure has resulted in a rise in rural deaths,” Kara said.
The chief has expressed the concern of his community over the challenging situation and appealed to the national and provincial government to take up renovation works at the earliest.
“On behalf of my rural community, I appealed to the leaders of Guadalcanal to visit the clinic because we (rural communities and rural citizens) are often left with no options for routine primary care, maternity care, or emergency care.”
