By Mohamed K. Turay
Health Alert Sierra Leone, one of the leading Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Sierra Leone, has given its final quarterly update to journalists on the health service delivery systems in Moyamba, Kailahun, Bonthe, Kambia, Tonkolili, Port Loko, Western Rural, Falaba, and Pujehun Districts.
The engagement with journalists took place at the Gender Grassroots Empowerment Movement hall at John Street in Freetown.
In his statement the Executive Director of Health Alert, Victor Lansana Koroma, said his organization had made it a tradition to update the media on a quarterly basis after their findings on the health care delivery systems in their operational areas countrywide.
He said their advocacy, over the years, had taught them to undertake evidence-based reporting on the current health update in the country in the nine districts they were operating.
Victor Lansana Koroma noted that they were also collaborating with Local Councils in those nine districts to promote social accountability for the health of all citizens.
Dalton John, Health Alert’s Programme Manager, said as a leading health advocacy network they had to be proponents of the rights-based approach for accountability.
Mr John focused his presentation on Kailahun, Tonkolili, Falaba, Bonthe, and the Western Rural. He noted that lack of an ambulance system, electricity, and staffing were some of the major challenges in those areas. He cited the Bonthe Health Centre which had 14 maternity staff with only four on Government Payroll.
The same could be said for Tonkolili where Dalton John said he made an inspection tour of Masingbi, Bendugu, and the Mile 91 health centres where he found out that there were no stable electricity, water supply, and enough staff mobility.