ByAaron Bundu Lahai
The Honourable Vice President of Sierra Leone Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh on Saturday 28th December, 2024 handed over a new ultra-modern ambulance with oxygen supply to the Koidu Government Hospital in Koidu New Sembehun City, Kono District. Hon Vice President Jalloh disclosed that his intervention to secure the ambulance from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation for emergency services at Koidu Government Hospital emanated from situation reports from the Council of Paramount Chiefs, and the security sector in Kono District some months ago. He explained that his engagement with the Minister of Health and Sanitation led to the allocation of the ambulance to the Koidu Government Hospital.
The Hon Vice President described the Annexe Building in the Koidu Government Hospital as a game changer, he thanked Alhaji Papa Chendeka-Chief Executive Officer of Seacon and Paramount Chief Paul Garba Saquee of Tankoro Chiefdom in Kono District for constructing the Annexe Building especially within the Government Hospital vicinity. He noted that the Annexe Building is to essentially support stakeholders in society, create space for critical illness that required isolation.
Hon Vice President Jalloh narrated the interventions made by the New Direction Government in the health sector from 2018 to present including budget allocation to the health sector from 6% in 2018 to 11.3% presently; recruitment of over nine thousand healthcare workers; progressively expanded baby care units’ facilities in district hospitals compared to 2018 when baby care units were only available in regional headquarter hospitals. He explained that the expansion of the baby care units was meant to increase the rate of survival of premature born babies in the districts, noting that the survival rate among premature born babies is now over 80% compared to 20% in 2018.
Hon Vice President Jalloh further explained about the expansion of laboratory services to hospitals across Sierra Leone, expanded blood bank facilities to so many hospitals across the country with electricity, expanded vaccines management, started the installation of solar panels to provide electricity to many health facilities nationwide. He revealed that every health care facility in Sierra will go green with solar facility by 2030. He again stated that the provision of the solar facility is to maintain lab testing, and maintain the potency of vaccines and drugs.
Hon Dr Jalloh enlightened the audience that development could be soft and hard. He said developments seen by the public such as roads and light are easily question when they are lacking, citing blackout when light goes off creates public outcry. He named education and health as soft developments that cannot be seen by the public even when they have operational challenges, public hardly know. He emphasized that the creation of the ambulance system was based on the critical need for mobility to the nearest health center at chiefdom level, to move pregnant women and children.
He encouraged the District Medical Officer (DMO) and team of Koidu Government Hospital to look after the ultra-modern ambulance very well like their personal vehicles, stressing that lack of a functional ambulance in a hospital increases the challenges on the DMO. “This ambulance should be the responsibility of senior management to look after it, because you don’t know when you will get another ambulance” he buttressed.
The District Medical Officer in Kono District Dr Mohamed Sheku informed about the impacts created by the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Kono District health sector. One of the impacts he narrated includes a special baby care unit with a twenty-eight-bed capacity to help premature born babies, with a survival rate of 98% at present in the district. Other impacts are the establishment of one hundred and sixty-five bed maternal center of excellence that is to be commissioned in April/May 2025, with support from the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) Kono can now boast of an oxygen plant, and a modern micro-biology laboratory with support from Partners-in-Health.
Dr Sheku intimated that Koidu Government Hospital is the only hospital that can boast of twenty-four hours electricity and water supply in Sierra Leone to deliver quality health service delivery. He further intimated that 98% of the one hundred and nine Peripheral Health Units (PHUs) in Kono District have been solarized with “We Care” solar project. He expressed appreciation to Vice President Jalloh for his intervention to secure the new ambulance for the Koidu Hospital and for his support to the hospital in particular.
Hon Paramount Chief representing Kono District Paul Garber Saquee who happens to be one of the two indigenes of the district that funded the Annexe Building in Koidu Government Hospital stated that the idea of constructing the Annexe was as a result of his visit to the hospital seeing stakeholders who have contributed to the development of the country dying uncomfortably. He said his initiative was discussed with Papa Chendeka and they both team up and constructed the Annexe Building, noting that the people of Kono deserved some privacy in their challenging times. He encouraged other Sierra Leoneans to inculcate their initiative and do likewise, adding that people cannot depend on Government for everything but partner a do a project in their communities. The Visit of the Hon Vice President was climaxed with an inspection of the Annexed Building, and the construction site of the maternal center of excellence.
