aw The medical assistant is qualified to care for mostIprimary health care needs, including the more difficult situations tat the health assistants and community health workers refer to him. A vital part of his work is to provide supervision and continuing on-thq@-job education for the health assistants in his atoll. The medical ass|stant is to be a full time and fully occupied employee who would have Haily contacts with each of the health assistants in his atoll and a] 5O daily radio contact with the medical officer or medical doctor at his area. Such radio contact would e hospital of provide consulthtion management of difficult cases, continuing education for the the medical assistant, supervision of the work of the medical assistagt along with a verification that he is on duty on a daily basis. Dailyjradio contact also provides a means of determination of need for and authorization of routine transport or emergency evacuation for hospitaligation for any patient needing such care. This prevents unauthorized transports or evacuations and over utlilization of hospital services By placing the final authority for transportation in the hands of the matical officers at the hospital. Medical assistants are also utilized to run the outpatient units of the hospitals with consultation as needed by the medica! officers or medical doctors. The training of the medical assistant usually incfudes an entry requirement of completion of high school followed by onel year of basic science instruction and two years of practical clinical hospitals and field clinics. Instruction in The recommended site of sufth training is at the new campus of the University of the South Pacific Which is being established at the present time in Honiara, Solomon Is ¥ands with the goal of providing mid level training in the areas of education, and engineering. Alternative training site assistant program at the School of Medicine in Suva, fmedical] care, Js the medical Aiji. Another alternative is to reinitiate the "medex" training or devélop a similar training program in the Marshall advantages/disadvantages students to of this Islands. must be The cost Jeffectiveness weighed already existing training programs agtinst sending sponsowed by member countries of the South Pacific Region that have experience] and knowledge of specific health needs of the South Pacific Islands. xf