18 Mar 2013

Extra clinics set up in dengue-hit Solomons capital

6:49 pm on 18 March 2013

Four extra clinics have been set up in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara to ease pressure on the hospital as health workers continue to deal with an outbreak of dengue fever that began several weeks ago.

A state of emergency is in place at the national referral hospital to enable staff to defer all non-emergency patients in favour of those with the Aedes mosquito-borne disease.

The ministry of health's permanent secretary says dengue fever has now killed two people and there are more than 900 suspected to have the illness, which typically causes very high fever and severe headache.

Dr Lester Ross says 74 people have been admitted to hospital and the disease has been confirmed in more than 200 people.

"We actually opened four clinics in Honiara City Council. One of the clinics is where we stabilise the patients. Kind of referral clinic for the people here in Honiara. We also opened up a good samitaritan hospital which is operated by the Catholic church in Guadalcanal Plains."

Dr Lester Ross says doctors are on a roster for visiting the clinics.