Japan Sets to Hand Over SBD$130M
Kilu’ufi Hospital to Malaita
by Georgina Maka’a
Malaita Province will today( Tuesday 14th July 2026 ) take delivery of the newly upgraded Kilu’ufi Hospital, a SBD$130 million Japanese-funded facility expected to transform healthcare services for the province’s residents.
Prime Minister Matthew Wale and Japan’s Ambassador to Solomon Islands, Keiichi Higuchi, will officially witness the handover ceremony near Auki.
The upgraded hospital features a new Central Clinical Building, an expanded maternity and delivery unit, modern operating theatres and upgraded medical equipment designed to improve the quality of healthcare services.
The Kilu’ufi Hospital Improvement Project is one of Japan’s largest development investments in Malaita.
It is expected to reduce the need for patients to travel to the National Referral Hospital in Honiara by providing more specialised medical services within the province.
Minister for Health and Medical Services Morris Toiraena will deliver the keynote address at the ceremony.
Following the official handover, Prime Minister Wale, accompanied by representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Kitano Construction, will tour the new facility.
The project is Japan’s second major hospital investment in Solomon Islands, following the upgrading of Gizo Hospital in Western Province.
Japan has been one of Solomon Islands’ longest-standing development partners since diplomatic relations were established in 1978.
Over the years, it has funded major national infrastructure projects, including the Honiara International Airport terminal, Honiara road improvement projects, Honiara Central Market, Auki Market and Wharf, as well as numerous health, education and fisheries initiatives across the country.
