NZ–Solomons builders donate house for medical training

MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday 14 May 2013

NZ–Solomons builders donate house for medical training

A brand new guest house for overseas medical and nursing students in Honiara, Solomon Islands, was officially opened this morning thanks to New Zealand building companies.

Auckland-based company Timber Construction Solutions (TCS) Managing Director Greg Charteris said the team was delighted to be able to make a gift to Solomon Islands.

“The project was very much a team effort, with us working in association with other New Zealand companies, Weck’s ITM, What Power Crisis Ltd, Mitre 10 Mega, Takanini, and Ullrich Alluminium, and our Solomon Islands partner company Tong’s Corp, and coordinated by the New Zealand High Commission in Honiara,” he said.

“We hope the house will make a real difference for the hospital in Honiara to attract students to come here as part of their training, and in turn make a significant contribution to health care in Solomon Islands.”

TCS is a privately owned New Zealand company that specialises in innovative design and building in tropical environments, working with products that will withstand the difficult conditions, including termites, and with state-of-the-art solar power specialists to incorporate off-grid electricity.

The house will provide accommodation for senior overseas student doctors, along with midwifery and nursing students, who work at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara, the capital of Solomon Islands. The four-bedroom house will accommodate up to eight students at a time during their secondments, which last for up to two months.

Most of the students come from New Zealand, Australia and Europe, and help increase medical capacity at the hospital as well as increasing the number of doctors and medical staff around the world who understand tropical medicine and health care issues in developing countries.

The new house has been named Jubilee House, in commemoration of the royal visit to Solomon Islands last year when building work began, and replaces accommodation that had reached the end of its life.

Other key donors include the New Zealand High Commission, British High Commission, Soroptimist Solomon Islands, the Honiara International Tea Group and Solo Enviro Beautification.
Jubilee House was officially opened by Solomon Islands Supervising Minister of Health, Hon Chris Laore.

ENDS

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