Impact of the XVII Pacific Games on the National Referral Hospital Emergency Department, Solomon Islands

Abstract

Background: The XVII Pacific Games was held in Honiara, Solomon Islands in 2023 and was attended by competitors from 24 Pacific nations. The National Referral Hospital (NRH) is the sole tertiary hospital and largest emergency department (ED) in the Solomon Islands, located in the capital city, Honiara, and was the designated referral hospital for the Pacific Games.

Objective: This report documents the lessons learnt from supporting a large international sporting event within a resource-limited health setting, and may help other EDs prepare for similar planned mass gatherings.

Method: Senior staff members at NRH ED collaborated to document their experiences during the Pacific Games, with a focus on the impact of the games on the ED and utilizing a strengths based approach.

Results: NRH ED responded to challenges in preparing for and responding to the demands of the Pacific Games, including strains on staff and physical resources, and logistical, procedural, and governance challenges, whilst capitalising on opportunities for capacity building, cross-sectoral collaboration, and disaster preparedness.

Conclusion: Planned mass gathering events can provide opportunities for EDs to increase workforce capacity and strengthen systems, but proper preparedness is required to minimise additional strain on already busy departments.

Keywords: capacity building; disaster planning; emergency medicine; mass gathering; resource‐limited setting.