Health care is free with five tiers of referrals in the health system. The primary point of entry is at the Nurse Aide Post. From the Nurse Aide post, a very sick patient is then referred to the Rural Health Clinic for a Registered Nurse to assess. The Registered Nurse treats the patient but if further attention is required, the Registered Nurse then refers the patient to the Area Health Centre. Then from the Area Health Centre the final referral stage is to the Provincial Hospital. If the Provincial Hospital is not able to offer the desired treatment then the patient is then referred to the National Referral Hospital when specialist treatment is available. Very difficult cases are referred to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney where the Solomon Islands has a ten-bed arrangement with the Australian Government.

http://www.anmc.org.au/wpsear/solomonis.php (accessed on 23.04.2009)