THIS BLOODY TYRANT.

Robinson Angikipau in the middle ground 2012

My brother Robinson Angikipau passed away in the NRH – National Referral Hospital at dawn on the 16th of January, 2022. Approximately, two (2) people die each day awaiting organ transplants that according to the Medical Superintendent, Doctor Solomon, we have about 20 patients on our list awaiting overseas referral, as of December 2021, but were unable to go due to lack of funds, which means twenty (20) people hopelessly groveling all the way to the morgue, each month.

There is one thing for sure despite the rumors about NRH delaying patient referrals overseas. First, NRH would always want the best for their patients and we strive to get the best service for our patients despite the odds to ensure we exhaust all avenues of opportunities we have to have our patients accepted abroad. And, secondly, specialists and/or subspecialist in Australia would always want to assist patients from the Solomon Islands in good faith. 

The reasons why the referral of patients are delayed was basically due to this mandatory for visa and exemption, as well as what was experienced due to bed pressure issues faced during the global pandemic.

One, delay of evidence of funds (Account details and statement) for treatment, transportation, accommodation, and allowances of the patient, and guardian/escort in order to get a visa and exemption to access emergency medical services in Australia upon arrival, and two, is to ensure that the Hospital Authority abroad accepts our referral provided that our patient does not disadvantage any Australian citizen. 

As Doctor Solomon said, we have dialogue with the relevant authorities to consider; having a bed arrangement with a hospital in Australia as in the past with St. Vincent Hospital, and also, re- consider “Solomon Foundation” – Charity Foundation based in Australia for Solomon Islands patients.

In past years, however, Mr. Frank Short stated that there was in place a long-standing outreach programme initiated by the Sisters of Charity at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia.  The programme saved many lives of Solomon Islanders who were flown to St Vincent’s and given free medical treatment for which treatment at home was not possible.

Those patients with only a short life expectancy were treated under excellent medical care and with a high rate of success, and post treatment could be given back home without the need for follow-up treatment.

The St Vincent’s 10 bed system, as it became to be known, was a wonderful initiative and not only were many patients given a second chance of life, but the programme forged strong bonds between many Solomon Islander and Australians who gave dedicated medical care.

That outreach programme stopped some years ago and, despite talk, never re-commenced.

Nowadays, the NRH through its overseas referral programme and its committee, chaired, we understand by the NRH’s Medical Superintendent, currently Doctor Solomon, tries to find hospitals in New Zealand or Australia able to receive sick patients in the care of the NRH who, if flown offshore for medical treatment, and often surgery, have a good chance of recovery.

I hate to say the arrangement is simply not enough, given the many patients that are in the NRH and who are not able to benefit from an offshore transfer and could possible get beneficial treatment, if only there was the money from the government, through the MHMS – Ministry of Health & Medical Services budget, to cover the costs of air fares and overseas hospitalization and medical attention.

Some correspondents have written saying it does not seem fair that Solomon Islanders engaged to work as contract seasonal workers in Australia get priority passages to Australia while the many sick patients in the NRH do not have the same chances to fly out for treatment.

While we can understand the reaction of parents and relatives of the sick making such concerns known, the seasonal employment scheme and funding is an Australian led and sponsored programme quite separate as to how referrals and costs relate, to NRH’s medical referral scheme.

Also, it was claimed in the National Parliament this week by former Prime Minister Danny Phillip that China has agreed to upgrade the NRH. Will such an upgrade also ensure offshore medical transfers are funding through the MHMS? The necessity of such action is vital and the sooner there is in place a system similar to what was the 10 bed system, given an equal chance for medical care to those who are deemed likely to benefit, but who have not the financial means, or support, the better.

God knows, how much money can buy human organs! Or medical care, slimy business that kind of occupation, I must say, we did everything we could, only to be waged with this bloody tyrant – Cirrhosis Hepatitis B, or what lay people call “a liver failure.” For my misery I have gone off track, losing a brother and an uncle to this bloody tyrant! I told the doctors who worked tirelessly on my brother, and eventually signed off his death cert, and the reason why he is dead. “Thank you so much for your hard work and kind-heartedness.”

On behalf of Robinson Angikipau and his family, we are grateful indeed for your assistance, and hereby acknowledge you all however great or small, sincere or otherwise. What we all learn and the challenges we face, hopefully will inspire us, as a nation, willing to strive, and hopefully to try, at least, to find a way to improve ourselves, and provide hope for our indigenous peoples, at least give them a chance to live, in these unprecedented times, I sincerely hope.

As my good friend, and advocate for health patients, Mr. Frank Short said, and I must add that he always had, unwaveringly strives, to get overseas referrals for Solomon Islands sick citizens (patients), and for their loved ones and/or family. I would like to reiterate what he said, and I quote "I am only happy to try to help and only wish the NRH's ORC – Overseas Referral Committee programme was funded as it should be to allow sick NRH patients a second chance to recovery, just as I hope would have happened for 16 year old Linta Mabo."

I agree wholeheartedly, and hold it in my heart to be very true, that we all did our best. I pray only that my brother gets the help he needs most, and I thank you so much for your kind gesture. I appreciate that we, as a family, a community, as a sovereign nation, have so much to work for, and towards attaining a level that all of us should one day have the chance of our lifetime, to serve, and to give service to humankind. Thank you so much for keeping us posted, regardless. 

I lost track, however. But, I think it costs the ORC less hustle, no big deal but no easy task too I assure you, to buy human organs! NRH ought to have a national wait list, and since we do not have one (a national wait list at that), our only hope is to liaise with countries who does, like Australia, New Zealand, India, but do not do Philippines, or Malaysia. For example, global financial integrity estimates that in 2017, criminal profits of USD $1.7 Billion came from the illegal organ trade. A heart, for example, can fetch over USD $1 Million on the black market. A liver can cost USD $100 Thousand and so on. 

The tyranny of my time, so much money I suppose, and to have witnessed the embalmer taking up the rest of a dead person’s organs, tissues, like eye-balls that are nice, and just about anything that was good, and bad are all gone too. The knowledge of good and bad stuff, or vice-versa, or else, what do you know? Please pardon my curio. It could be that since we do not have a national wait list, or a mechanism for human organ transplant. Our best guess is they have them removed, or thrown into a fire, this bloody tyrant!

I know this is off-limits stuff, we do not speculate of such horrendous hard work to bereaved families. But, out of respect for our good doctors, nurses, and loved ones, I fear they shall use the pandemic too as a means to an end. For example, when my brother passed away, the following morning at 3am, the first Covid19 patient was admitted in NRH, and since then, we have been living with this bloody tyrant – fear of the corona virus! Simply, we are responding to what gets thrown at us, whether it’s important or not. Please, I beseech you, be mindful of what happened, for instance, intrinsically 27 indigenous peoples lives were lost simply by fright of global pandemic because of this bloody tyrant – fear itself. Like, who in his or her right mind would sleep with this bloody tyrant? Well, as far as I know, my wantok Fergie does, and she is not in her right mind as I write.

Instance from the time when Covid19 infiltrate NRH in the early hours of January 17th 2022, Fergie has been seen at NRH wearing the clothes of Covid19 patients that had passed away and preserved inside the morgue, she even slept there too, and wore the apparels that nurses used to work on Covid19 patients, and yet she is totally free of Covid19! No vaccine, no Covid19, freely crazy, and happily mad. But, methinks very much alone like wonder woman I guess. At some point, I sometimes wonder, I mean, we all wonder, “Why? Is it so impossible to get everything done?” But then again the answer is stunningly simple: We’re doing too many of the wrong things.

“Do I need to do this at all?”

Of course, this bloody tyrant is a cancerous cell, too. Yes, we need to articulate it, cut it up, or isolate it out, and thrown into some fire. Consequently, I believe, it would therefore seem that caution would be required, if we were to find a way to encourage the creation of hundreds of thousands of invulnerable human body in Solomon Islands, caution. 

Anyway, now you know – I hope – why I am interested in this bloody tyrant Covid19, because it links together a whole series of processes that, I believe, are key to understanding cancer, cardiovascular disease, endothelial damage, blood clot formation, the central role of the blood clotting system, which comes and goes at some speed and is unlikely to lead to the longer-term damage required to create the repeated clot deposition necessary to drive (atherosclerotic) plaque formation. Still, it can steal, cause, acute, clot, formation, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks and kidney damage and liver failure, and suchlike.

It is why, after I got vaccinated, I took aspirin for a month.

Today I am unsure what represents a fact, and what has simply been made up. A sad and scary state of affairs for a nation like Solomon Islands, this is not just true of the mainstream media, which has simply decided to impress all government and WHO – World Health Organization statements without any critical engagement, or thought. For example, the SIBC says that in the last six days, fifty people died within twenty-eight days of a positive Covid19 test, or a hundred, or six. What the hell is this supposed to mean? It means nothing, it is the very definition of scientific meaninglessness.

To reassure you, I got this from Doctor Malcolm; it seems that very nearly a half of those admitted to NRH with Covid19 were not admitted to NRH with Covid19. They were admitted with something else entirely, and then had a positive test whilst in NRH. In short, they were not admitted to NRH with Covid19, and almost certainly did not die of Covid19. They died with a positive Covid19 test – with, not of.

But the misinformation is equally a problem for those on this side, as with those on that side. You see, for example, according to the good doctor, claims are made for the benefits of Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, which simply do not hold up to analysis – “Yes, I believe both drugs may provide some benefit, but not the claimed 90% reduction in deaths that I have seen advocated for.”

Hence, we all have given up on this bloody tyrant Covid19. It is a complete mess, and I feel that, without being certain of the ground under my feet, I have nothing to contribute. I too am in danger of writing reports that are not true. 

On the other hand, I do know how to perform the journal regulations outlook. Like, do not make a report you cannot reference from a peer-reviewed journal, or from what the good doctor said. And, do not give direct advice to people over the internet, especially facebook! Provide facts, and do not make statements such as ‘vaccines are killing thousands of people,’ or suchlike.

This bloody tyrant has caused me to remain silent for a while.