BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
On Friday 1st April 2022, President Julius Maada Bio, has made an official pronouncement of 60 million dollars World Bank Grant in support of the quality and essential Healthcare Services and Support Project.
In his statement, President Bio assured that the project concretizes the ongoing development partnership with the World Bank. He added that the project also enhances the country’s partnerships with Partners in Health (PIH-SL. President Bio further noted that his Government is also engaging them to replicate the Kono model in Kailahun, as well as support the other four districts to achieve same impressive outcomes.
President Bio Continued that his Government has followed their commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage with concrete actions including increasing the healthcare budget, recruiting and training more healthcare staff, restructuring the health sector, improving and expanding national ambulance and laboratory services, expanding the range of healthcare services, refurbishing and building healthcare facilities, and improving access to and affordability of healthcare across the country. He recalled that some weeks ago, at York Village, his New Direction Government also introduced a health-on-wheels initiative to take healthcare into under-served and far to reach communities.
“We made a simple argument in our manifesto that development is about people, and no meaningful development can take place in any nation without developing the human capital. Part of it involves improving health care, and protecting poor and vulnerable population groups. We were mindful of health disparities and moved by the poor state of health services in 2018”, he said.
By taking healthcare services to within a five-mile radius of every Sierra Leonean, President Bio further reminded that his Government has improved health outcomes and lowered disease burdens. He added that Maternal and infant mortality are down and that his Government will work to reduce them even further. He also acknowledged the fact that Vaccination rates are higher now and that Malaria kills far fewer Sierra Leoneans now than before. He added that more persons living with HIV and TB are receiving life-saving medication, strengthened disease surveillance teams and his Government has quickly and effectively responded to potential epidemics. “We have successfully fought against successive waves of COVID-19, (too much international acclaim, I must add), keeping fatalities to a minimum”.
President Bio assured that the grant will be used to finance a hub-and-spoke services delivery model. He disclosed that his Government will identify hubs in each district cluster and then distribute and improve quality essential health services at each of the satellite stations.
He reaffirmed that the following district facilities will be upgraded as hubs: For Bonthe District: (United Brethren in Christ (UBC) Hospital, CHC Moriba Town, and CHC Tihun). For Kailahun District: (CHC Bandajuma Yawei, CHC Buedu, Jojoima-CHC). For Falaba District: (CHC Kurubonla, CHC Falaba, CHC Mongo). For Tonkolili District: (CHC Hinistas, CHC Masingbi, CHC Bendugu). For the Western Area Rural (Waterloo, CHC Goderich).
President Bio also reassured the people of Sierra Leone that his Government intends to achieve a number of goals with this project. First, he disclosed that they want to ensure that skilled health personnel are available in target districts.
Secondly, pregnant women should attend ante-natal clinic at least four times and all deliveries are attended by skilled health personnel. Next, his Government wants to ensure that children are fully immunized and finally, all mothers and children should receive basic nutrition services in health facilities.
