By: Mohamed M. Sesay
With support from the Islamic Development Bank, the United Nations Children‘s Fund (UNICEF), has on Tuesday the 26th of April 2022, handed over medical equipment worth ten million dollars to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
The gesture is geared to contribute to the strengthening of Sierra Leone’s emergency response to Covid-19 and also supporting the strengthening of the health sector in the country.
The medical consignments includes Pharmaceuticals, 10 Mobile digital X-ray Machines, 10 ultrasound scanners, 70 wheelchairs, oxygen therapy and other medical devices, 550 hospital beds and furniture, 7 steam sterilizer (autoclaves) PPEs and 6 Generator sets.
In his handing over statement, the UNICEF Representatives Dr. Suleiman Braimoh disclosed that the medical support from the Islamic Development Bank came through a project titled “strengthening Covid-19 Response and Essential Health Service in Sierra Leone”.
He added that the project was intended to help prevent, detect, and respond to the threat posed by Covid-19, and strengthen health services in Sierra Leone.
He assured that the project will not only support emergency response, but also health system strengthening across the country.
Globally, Dr. Braimoh acknowledged that Covid-19 has disrupted delivery of essential services and continues to claim lives and disrupt livelihoods.
He mentioned that the socio-economic impact of the recent surge affecting fuel and other essential commodities due to Russian-Ukraine War, has added further hardships to the people particularly the most vulnerable around the globe.
Dr. Braimoh continued that under the Islamic Development Bank’s Funded covid-19 response and essential health services project, UNICEF contributes to achieving the three specific outputs which includes; 10 districts covid-19 treatment centers and other related supplies; essential medicines, PCCs, supplies and water and sanitation facilities available to strengthen clinical practices at secondary hospitals in seven districts; and imaging, laboratory diagnostic capacity is enhanced in the ten selected hospitals.
Dr, Braimoh equally requested the Ministry to utilize the equipment for their intended purposes by all recipient hospitals and health facilities.
He also encouraged the Ministry to closely monitor the consumption of consumables assuring that, UNICEF stands ready to provide capacity building support for equipment users and biomedical technicians to facilitate preventive and corrective maintenance of the equipment.
“We affirm our commitment towards delivery all assignments aligned to this project and take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister of Health and Sanitation for ably leading the health sector transformation process as evidenced during the very successful first-ever Health Summit”, he said.
The Deputy Financial Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Sam M. Aruna, expressed that the Ministry of Finance is very elated for such consignment.
He assured the gathering that they will monitor the entire process with the hope that, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation takes care of the equipment particularly for judicious utilization for the benefit of the nation.
He made it categorically clear that the resources used for the procurement of the equipment are not grant but rather loan from the Islamic Development Bank.
In receipt of the items, the Acting Minister of Health and Sanitation Madam Princess Dugba revealed that the project was developed by the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
She disclosed that the project cost in the form of a loan from the Islamic Development Bank, is in the tune of ten million Dollars.
Madam Dugba furthered that the project targets ten beneficiaries’ districts across the country.
The Acting Minister of Health also indicated that three secondary hospitals in the Northern Region, one secondary hospital in the North-Eastern Region, three secondary hospitals in the Southern Region, and three secondary hospitals in the Eastern Region are the beneficiaries of the project.
She concluded by assuring UNICEF and other partners that the equipment will be used for their intended purposes.
