Waves leave hospital unusable

SOUTH TARAWA – The Kiribati Public Health Department says the damage to one of only two hospitals on South Tarawa is so severe, it will take at least a fortnight to repair.

It says Betio Hospital was left in a state of disarray after disastrous waves flooded it on February 20. The Director of Public Health, Dr Patrick Timeon, says the extensive damage meant patients had to be evacuated, and all medical services for the hospital suspended. Power lines were damaged, and a temporary underground sewerage system was stripped out from underneath.

Dr Timeon says patients have been accommodated in a sports complex, as the only other hospital on South Tarawa, which is also the main hospital for the 33 islands of Kiribati, was already at capacity. He says New Zealand is assisting with the ongoing repairs, and a request has been sent to the local High Commission to speed up work. Dr Timeon says while the hospital has started to experience more frequent flooding, this is the hospital’s first disaster.Disaster officials in Kiribati say more permanent solutions are needed to prevent damage from spring tides and flooding.

Michael Foon, with the national disaster management office, says the seawall had only just been repaired, before being damaged again by the three-metre high waves.

He says they are looking at building the sea wall higher, but it’s already one of the highest on the island.

“I think the option really is to look at more permanent solutions, like putting wave breakers around the area. It involves structures like tri-pods to be put in front of the sea-walls. When dealing with very big waves, it sort of takes away the energy before it smashes the seawall.”

Foon says the option of moving the hospital further in-land has been floated, but nothing concrete has been decided.