ce-?
E.
Communication
The very large geographic territory served by the health care system of
the Marshall
Islands creates unusual
communication requirements.
Health
Assistants need consultation hours with their supervisory medex (medical
assistants).
Typically these can be scheduled at specific regular times.
Supply requests may be forwarded to a central logistics support facility at
similar scheduled times.
The community health aids also need to communicate
with their supervisors in emergencies at unexpected and unscheduled times 24
hours a day.
Communication links must be reliable and available at all
times.
Present System
Telephone systems exist only in the urban areas and do not extend to the
outer
islands.
system.
High
Written communications are restricted by the transportation
frequency
single
side
band
transceivers
powered
by
gasoline
generators were installed in many of the outer island clinics and in magistrate's
offices.
The harsh marine environment and operating conditions have resulted in
rapid deterioration of equipment.
repair.
The highest priority has been given to the magistrate's radios. None of
the clinics now have radios.
radio.
Most units have been returned to Majuro for
Those clinics near a magistrate depend on his
A few borrow (rent) privately owned walkie-talkies to relay requests to
the magistrate on their atoll for forwarding via his radio to Majuro.
But many
are now without communication capability except by word of mouth or field ship.
Reliable communications using the current high frequency equipment is possible
only part of the time because of atmospheric disturbances from storms and varying
skip disturbances caused by variations in the ionosphere.
messages can be relayed from one station to the next.
at
scheduled
communications
messages.
net
at
times
other
when
times
al]
stations
only one
are
unmanned
Under these conditions
But this is practical only
attended.
station blocks
For
emergency
the relay of
No attempt is made to man all of the stations except at the weekly
scheduled net times.
Plans to restock the clinics with new high frequency
transceivers will not resolve these problems.
A multichannel solar powered VHF
system is being discussed, but will still have incomplete coverage, requiring
relaying of messages.
health.
Highest priority will still be for services other than