By Mohamed K. Turay
The Kailahun Government Hospital, which was re-constructed by the erstwhile All People’s Congress (APC) administration of Ernest Bai Koroma, is in a state of disrepair due to lack of financial support from the central government.
Previously, the said hospital was considered one of the best hospitals in the entire eastern part of Sierra Leone.
The Nationalist Newspaper made an unannounced visit to the Kailahun Government Hospital after residents complained bitterly about the hospital’s dilapidated condition to officials of Health Alert-Sierra Leone and some journalists during a recent town hall meeting held at the Ministry of Social Welfare Conference Hall.
Whilst in the hospital, we discovered that most of the beds had no mattresses; the X-Ray Department was closed; there were no cost recovery drugs, and there was no electricity in the entire hospital. Also, over 10 dysfunctional ambulances were parked inside the compound.
We were also told that one of the reasons why the entire hospital was very untidy was because there were only eight employed cleaners.
All efforts to talk to the Matron and senior management staff at the Kailahun Government Hospital were futile.