The Saupia Health Centre in Paunangisu, North Efate, is set for a major upgrade that will reshape healthcare delivery across Shefa Province.
Shefa Health Administrator, Morris Amos, said the upgrade will support the government’s vision of decentralising healthcare services and improve access for communities in rural and remotest areas.
The project will see Saupia Health Centre upgraded to a hospital-level facility, extending outpatient services, increasing the number of doctors, and expanding infrastructure for public health outreach and emergency response.
One of the most significant features of the upgrade will be the introduction of Shefa’s first Maritime Health Concept, designed to reach coastal areas in the remote islands and reduce the pressure on the Vanuatu National Hospital (VNH) in Port Vila.
“Currently, the government has no dedicated maritime health service. When we need to refer a patient or do outreach, we rely on commercial ships or small boats,” Amos said.
“With this upgrade, we want a boat/ship with proper maritime health system that can respond to emergencies and bring essential healthcare across the sea.”
The initiatives follows the December 17 earthquake, with government recovery support fund shifting Shefa Health Office operations closer to North Efate.
Prime Minister Jotham Napat has already announced VT80 million towards the project during the groundbreaking of the relocation of the Shefa Health Administration in Emua earlier in June. This in which according to Amos, design of administration facility is completed and procurement process is in progress for approval from the central data board.
The upgrade of Saupia will provide two doctors, a dedicated outreach officer, and an emergency response team.
Amos said the investment will improve three things- medical outreach through the maritime health concept, emergency retrieval, and public health outreach capacity across Shefa Province.
“This upgrade is about quality. Emergency retrieval will become an additional service, while medical outreach will expand through the maritime health concept, increasing our capacity to serve communities,” he said.
The plan also integrates community involvement and aims to generate income in the communities.
Once completed, the Saupia Health Centre upgrade and maritime service will mark a milestone for Shefa Province, ensuring quality healthcare is available at the doorstep of communities, whether on land or at sea.
