Empower Pacific has asked Government for an increased funding allocation in the next national budget to accommodate counselling requests from maritime islands.
CEO Patrick Morgam said they expected requests from outer islands to soar after the return of one of their counsellors from Moala in the Lau Group who reported on a number of cases that needed urgent attention.
“She (counsellor) was there for two weeks and attended to a number of cases that were referred by the Ministry of Health medical staff on the island,” Mr Morgam said.
“So when my staff goes to maritime islands, we work closely with the Ministry of Health and they identify cases and recommend we go and see these people that have been facing mental health issues.
“And the concerns from the doctors and the nurses there is that hardly any counsellor come to the islands.”
Mr Morgam said their counsellor had to attend to cases of teenage pregnancies, domestic violence, child abuse, trauma, grief and loss cases and NCDs related matters.
He indicated that an increase in government grant would allow counsellors to travel and attend to maritime issues on a regular basis.
“So basically we need more funding support so we can have counsellors based in other sub divisional hospitals in the maritime.
“If they can increase our grant, we will be able to cater for maritime islands as well.”
Mr Morgam said requests were also coming from medical officers to retain counsellors who visited on a monthly basis because of the numerous counselling requests.
