Vila Central Hospital to be upgraded with Australia’s recovery funding

Vanuatu’s main health facility, the Vila Central Hospital (VCH), is about to undergo vital renovations to improve health services for thousands of people each year.

The Minister of Health, Jerome Ludvaune, and the Australian High Commissioner, Jenny Da Rin, officially launched the works during a ceremony on Wednesday, June 14 at the VCH.

The rehabilitation work at the VCH will include repairs to the laboratory and x-ray building –used for pathology and mammogram services – and improvements to the operating theatre, which includes two theatre rooms and a storeroom.

Its close proximity to the maternity ward will facilitate the safer delivery of high-risk births and will increase the surgical capacity of the hospital and enhance services for women.

The morgue, that was upgraded recently, will have additional roofing to increase its capacity.

Finally, all original hospital buildings will be rewired to remove exposed cabling and ensure waterproofing.

“The VCH provides vital health care to thousands of Ni-Vanuatu every year and Australia is pleased to be able to support the Vanuatu Government’s improvements to the facility,” said Australian High Commissioner, Jenny Da Rin.

VCH Medical Superintendent Dr Santus Wari called the ceremony a milestone to actively increase the quality of care, firstly with women’s health.

“Central to our gathering here today is the attention given to women with cervical cancer.

“There are over 200 women with cervical cancer according to pap smear, a screening test,” Dr. Wari said.

“Due to defective confirmation, timely treatment has not been possible due to a lot of obstacles.

“Today’s milestone ground breaking ceremony will remove that obstacle,” he added.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Health, Director General George Taleo, said the renovation project of VCH is part of an ongoing collaboration and support by the Australia Government, which is not only happening in Port Vila with the improvements to VCH but also in the rural areas where the Minister and the Australian High Commissioner will travel to some islands next week to visit health facilities where improvements have taken place after Tropical Cyclone Pam.

Australia has provided a AU$35 million (Vt26 million) recovery package to the Government of Vanuatu to recover from Tropical Cyclone Pam, and both countries are working together to build back damaged infrastructure and make it more resistant to natural disasters.

Already most of Vanuatu’s essential sectors – education, health, tourism, infrastructure and agriculture — are benefiting with the reconstruction of schools, health facilities, tourism services and public buildings and the launching of a tourism marketing campaign and the planting of new climate resilient crops.

Many of these projects are helping grow Vanuatu’s economy, providing job opportunities for Ni-Vanuatu and offering opportunities to improve skills, promote gender equality and disability inclusive workplaces.