US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires made a courtesy call to Health Minister

The new Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Honiara, Mr. P. Daniel O’Hara, paid a recent courtesy visit to the Health Minister Hon. Dr. Paul Popora Bosawai and Ministry of Health and Medical Services Executive members.

During the visit, Health Minister Dr Bosawai welcomed the Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires Mr. O’Hara for taking time and effort to visit and he congratulated Mr. O’Hara on his new appointment.

Minister. Dr. Bosawai on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Government of Solomon Islands acknowledged the US Government for its support and cooperation during the COVID-19 Pandemic period, where the US Government along with other partners provided over 179,000 Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines through the COVAX facility, to strengthen the country’s vaccination roll out.

“In addition, the US Government undertook a humanitarian and medical mission to Solomon Islands, USNAVY vessel (MERCY) provided medical services and humanitarian work in Honiara, Gizo and Auki. Upon the request of the Government, US Government accepted to commission another medical outreach to Solomon Islands during the SPG2023”, said Minister Bosawai.

Minister Bosawai further stated that the ministry cannot deliver health services on its own without the strategic partnership and collaboration with stakeholders including development partners.

“We need each other in order to improve our health systems and ultimately improve on delivering our health services. I thank you for the opportunity to meet to discuss potential areas of partnership and collaboration in the health space”, said Minister Dr. Bosawai.

Moreover, Dr Bosawai said Solomon Islands has a long history with the United States dating back to World War 2 in the mid-1940s. The National Referral Hospital also known as Number 9 given the location was once the 9^th Army Field Hospital was based during the Guadalcanal Campaign. The oldest buildings on the hospital campus, made from timber, date back to the late 1950s and early 1960s, when the original hospital was built.

“In this regard Mr O’Hara, a potential opportunity for collaboration is financing the improvement of our health facilities, but also development of new facility.

“Given our shared history, financing for a new hospital for the Guadalcanal Province can make a huge impact of the lives of Solomon Islanders but more so the people of Guadalcanal. A new state of the art hospital can take Solomon Islands health diplomatic ties between the US and Solomon Islands. At the same time the new hospital on Guadalcanal will be a significant symbol of our shared history by acknowledging the US and Solomon Island sacrifices and legacy our forefathers left.

“Should this collaboration come into fruition and materialises, the new hospital will be called Red Beach Memorial Hospital – signifying that history. But critically more important is the fact that by establishing this new facility, this would off load the service burden off the NRH including the reduction of referrals, and more so given the expansion of population and economic activities in eastern side of Guadalcanal that justifies the urgency for health services to be near the people and easily accessible”, said Dr Bosawai.

In response, Mr. P. Daniel O’Hara Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Honiara thanked the Minister Dr Bosawai and the MHMS Executive for the warm welcome. He acknowledged the long-term partnership US Government have with the Solomon Islands Government. He described the discussions as fruitful and pledges their continuous support to the Solomon Islands Government, and especially the health sector.

Mr. O’Hara serves as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the U.S. Embassy to Solomon Islands since June 2025. Previously, he held several foreign services posts that includes; head of the political and economic affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, head of the political and military affairs section of the U.S Embassy in Somalia; special assistant to the Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment; economic officer in China, and etc.