By: Ilyasa Baa
The Sierra Leone Medical and Dental Association ( SLMDA) has on Saturday 4th June, 2022, held its Mid-Year Congress with a recommendation that the conditions of service of medical practitioners be adjusted to match up with the current economic trend.
The congress brought together medical practitioners on the theme: Improving the welfare of Doctors in Sierra Leone: the way forward in rebranding the healthcare system. There was a symposium on: Achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030 and a scientific session which delved into the areas of the control on cervical cancer, Stop the Bleed in Rural Sierra Leone as well as Child Health and Immunization.
Discussing their salary breakdown, the Doctors unanimously called on government to adjust their salaries and improve on their conditions of service which they described as unsatisfactory considering their role in society. They dilated on issues surrounding the removal of Covid-19 risk allowance from their package even though the pandemic is not over yet.
Rental allowance was called for as well as the translation of fuel allowance into transportation allowance since not all the medical practitioners or Doctors can afford to buy vehicle. There was a call for the association to hire corporate lawyers to help put the document together to approach government after surveys have been carried out to compare their conditions of service with Doctors in other countries in the sub region.
Speaking to this medium, during an interview, the President of SLMDA, Dr. Edries A. Tejan said the outcome was in place, adding that it could make Sierra Leone achieve universal health coverage by the 2030 WHO target if their recommendations are looked into. He said they are going to put the various recommendations by the participants into a single document which will be presented for action by the government of Sierra Leone.
“Our membership brought up the issue of welfare, and when we say improving our welfare it is not just about salary, there are other important things to consider with regards our condition of service”, said the President.
The congress attracted important personalities in the medical sector in Sierra Leone with SLMDA having over two hundred registered members in country. The association normally holds this congress in June and in November holds the Annual Conference and Scientific meeting annually.
