DEAR EDITOR, I thank you for publishing my letter concerning the reported run down state of the Panueli Health Clinic on Savo Island and highlighting the fact that up to 4000 people are going without medical attention and services as a consequence of the condition of the only health facility.

As in the case of the derelict Tatamba Rural Health Clinic in Isabel Province, I have written to the Government of Canada to see if funds could be made available by way of a project grant from the ‘Canada Fund’ to help restore or rebuild the Clinic.

This morning, Thursday, 30 March 2017, my call was promptly answered with the following message (quote)).

“Dear Frank,

Thanks very much for your email.

I am so sorry to hear about the issues impacting your community and indeed it does sound like the Panueli Health Clinic needs major backing for it to support the surrounding communities to access adequate medical care and attention.

The CFLI still has not allocated additional funds for 2017-18, but we estimate that these should be released around May. Once these funds are released, we will put forward our call for proposals, in which case you are welcome to submit your application.

Your contact details have been placed on our call out list, so I can assure you that we will be in contact as soon as we receive further information about funding opportunities.

Thanks again for reaching out to us and all the best!”

In view of the reply I have received I would please request a community leader on Savo Island to contact me via my email address – nkhwazi2002@yahoo.com – so that I could determine who, on behalf of the community would be able to prepare a funding grant application should the ‘Canada Fund’ send such documents to me, possibly as early as May.

Should a grant be made available it would require an element of community involvement such as local labour, ground preparation and even, perhaps, material support in kind.

I hope the ‘Canada Fund’ can eventually help with a grant and the sooner I know what local, community involvement there will be should money be forthcoming and who would prepare and complete the necessary application document, the sooner it might result in restoring the much needed health facility.

 

Yours sincerely

 

FRANK SHORT