By: Problyn J. Alpha
At least One hundred and Twenty (120) maternal and child health assistance nurses have graduated at a ceremony held at the Kono District Council hall Barracks Koidu City after successfully completing their training at the MCHA School in Koidu City Kono District.
In his welcome address the District medical officer Kono Dr. Mohamed Gbessay Sheku foremost emphasized on the graduation ceremony of the one hundred and twenty MCHA nurses as it is part of building the human capacity in the district and the country as a whole.
He said the training of the nurses is in line with the attainment of the 2030 universal health coverage clarion call of the medical sector noting the recently launched mobile Clinic buses coupled with the human capacity development at the aforementioned school in Kono District will in no doubt be part of the history making with regard the attainment of the 2030 universal health courage in the country and the world over. It is on that back drop that Dr. Sheku urged the grandaunts to further build their capacities as front liners in terms of their fundamental responsibilities. He said before the graduation ceremony all of the grandaunts have been posted to the respective peripheral health units (PHUS) in Kono District and therefore pleaded with the fourteen chiefdom authorities in Kono District to provide accommodation and security for the nurses to maintain safe deliveries at the PHUS in the District. While reminding the grandaunts of their service to humanity, the District medical officer Kono intimated them that plans were underway by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to pin code them very soon.
He disclosed that the ministry of health and sanitation will soon launch what he called the Sierra Leone social health insurance scheme that will benefit every medical practitioner. Concluding Dr. Mohamed Gbessay Sheku urged the grandaunts to be profession by observing the law of division of labour and must make sure that their activities are well documented. He congratulated them on the success made and wished them good luck.
Haja Mariama Mansaray is the former National MCHA Coordinator when making a statement she foremost asked the grandaunts to read the national pledge for guidance while executing their duties “as your work is to maintain the sound health of pregnant women, suckling mothers and their children I advise you all to stay away from the fixing of nails and other artificial beauties which will hinder the effectiveness of your work.
The former national MCHA coordinator strictly frowned at Inter district transfers of Nurses trained noting they must serve where they have been trained. In her conclusion she spoke of the importance of career part way coupled with the grandaunts knowing their limit that is the observance of what she called chain of command to maintain good working relationship. On her part the Manager reproductive maternal new-born child and adolescent health partners in health Patricia Efe Azikiwe intimated the audience that her institution is in support of the training at the MCHA school in the District. She thanked officials of the District health Management Team in Kono for a work well done and urged them to do more. According to her maintaining standards by reducing maternal death should be the joy of nurses noting the idea of saving both pregnant women and their babies during labour should be the passion and duty of every nurse. Whilst reminding the grandaunts of their pledge Madam Efe Azikiwe maintained that midwifery profession is the bedrock of human existence and must be treated seriously. Other stakeholders who made statement were: The Medical superintendent Koidu Government Hospital Dr. Daniel Laullie, Matron KGH Kadie Kpaka , Gbense Chiefdom representative Fengai Bockarie to name but a few. Giving a brief background of the MCHA school in Kono District earlier , the coordinator one of the afore said school Florance Lansana maintained that in 2009 the government of Sierra Leone through the ministry of Health and Sanitation thought it prudent to establish the MCHA school in Kono District noting the first set of training started at the school since 2009 to 2013, followed by the second set since 2015 to 2018. She noted that those that have graduated started training in 2018 to 2022. According to her the graduation ceremony was overdue as a result of the covid-19 pandemic that hit the country and the world as a whole. She said five hundred people applied for the course but only one hundred and twenty were accepted and went through the training successfully. Florence Lansana thanked their partners including other bodies and the District health Management Team Kono for supporting the school over the years and implored them not to relent as the reward for good or hard work is more work. Meanwhile a skit portraying institutional delivery and the presentation of certificates to the grandaunts and a social night at the prestigious Average night Club formed high point of the graduation of at least one hundred and twenty MCHA Nurses in Kono District.