By Mohamed K. Turay
Since last November to date, the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation has not provided Cost Recovery and Free Health Care drugs to all Community Health Centres in the Western Rural District, a district that was recently reported to be prone to diseases with a population of over 60,000.
This information was revealed by health workers and community stakeholders during a recent town hall meeting, organized by Health Alert Sierra Leone, at the conference hall of Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) in the district.
The essence of that community engagement was to update health workers and community stakeholders about a research Health Alert carried last year to unearth the challenges and successes in the health sector in the Western Rural District.
The health workers also complained that the entire district could not boost of an ambulance, a Blood Bank needless to mention electricity in all the PHUs in the said district—a development, they noted, was undermining the health status in that part of the country.
During the meeting, residents also complained that due to lack of drugs supply in the district, nurses were now doing business in the hospital by selling medicines in all community health centres including the main referral hospital in Waterloo.
After listening to their complaints, Health Alert’s Executive Director, Victor Lansana Koroma, said that: “if the Western Rural District which is very close to the capital city can face such challenges needless to mention about those in remote areas”.
Victor Lansana Koroma promised that he would utilize his advocacy skills in making sure that he engages the authorities in the Health Ministry to address their felts needs.
Responding to the allegations, representatives of the District Health Management Team (DHMT) and Council did not deny the health neglect of the district but promised to further engage their superiors for a better health system in the Western Rural District.
The town hall meeting was sponsored by the Global Financing Facility (GFF) based in the United States of America.