Thursday 24 March 2022, Apia Samoa. As Samoa continues it’s lockdown extension in national efforts to curb the impacts of its first community outbreak since the global pandemic, the Sagaga 2 district, centrally located between Apia and Faleolo, have requested to be formal Health Unit as a contingency plan as officials continue to monitor the spread of the outbreak.
Member of Parliament for Sagaga 2, Maulolo Tavita Amosa had first raised the advantage of his constituency’s location in his maiden parliamentary speech in November last year. Afega village is located 14 kilometres from Apia, and 18 kilometres from Faleolo, where the next nearest district hospital is located.
Maulolo says their request has been formally voiced to Samoa’s Minister’s of Health, Hon Valasi Luapitofanua To’ogamaga Tafito Selesele who has given initial support to the proposal.
“The response from the Hon. Minister of Health in our verbal dialogue this morning on the phone was indeed heartening and encouraging,” Maulolo had said Wednesday afternoon. “Faafetai le afioga Valasi. His kind gratifying comments amplified further the community spirit of togetherness and oneness, the ingredients for survival at such trying times in our history. And this, of course, is not foreign to our constituency and Samoa,” the HRPP MP added.
Maulolo says this is a way for his constituency to support Government’s contingency measures to combat the onslaught of COVID19. He said as part of these initial exploratory discussions, he did also have the opportunity to speak with Acting Director General of Health, Tagaloa Dr Robert Thompsen, who was happy with the idea, and gave valuable advice on standards, requirements and risk assessments.
“The Afega community has taken the initiative to clean up and prepare its Village Primary School in the event MoH agrees to our request to station one Unit for COVID Testing here,” said Maulolo. “This Unit will service not only our district but also nearby communities towards the Aana area and beyond”.
Maulolo said they are prepared to accommodate local isolation cases including non-Sagaga 2 patients.
With regards to the other two villages of the Sagaga 2 constituency, Maulolo says the Village Councils of Malie & Tuana’i will know what is best for their villages, and are at liberty to choose isolation sites within their villages should this be the preference. “Otherwise our temporary center here in Afega stands ready at any time to accommodate any and all isolation cases”.
In his public statement to his constituency, Maulolo gives out his personal mobile number, and urges the residents of Sagaga 2, to get vaccinated. “I continue to humbly appeal to our people of Sagaga 2 to please get vaccinated. When the booster shots are available please take up the opportunity”.
“Here is my contact number +685 720 8413 should you at any point in time during
these difficult moments need my help pertaining to COVID, please do not hesitate to
call me”.
Maulolo Leaula Tavita Uelese Amosa was the first person to graduate with a Master’s degree from the Amosa o Savavau (Indigenous University of Samoa). He later worked as Head of Samoan Studies at the National University of Samoa, as the Director of Internal Affairs, and as a lecturer at the Amosa o Savavau in American Samoa. In 2010 he was Assistant Chief Executive of the Ministry of Women. He is the author of popular Fausaga o Lauga Samoa, Volumes I and II, a significant work on Samoan oratory.
From SGNs Online Public Notice Board
