By: Saidu Jalloh (Intern)
The Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr Charles Senise has revealed to the public that health care workers at Kingham Road Hospital and PCMH Hospital have been suspended for neglecting a pregnant woman and her baby to death.
The Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Charles Senise expressed his dissatisfaction against health workers who neglected a pregnant woman and her unborn baby to death said that he and the Minister of health and Sanitation has summoned all the top management and hospitals that were involved in this act including the Ambulance Services and doctors who refused to render medical assistance to the late woman, there were fifteen people at the moment who were involved in this act.
“Investigation is ongoing, starting from the nurses, ambulance and the taking the woman to the police hospital that doesn’t have enough facilities to handle the bleeding pregnant woman, it goes against the laid down principle of the national ambulance service and against the profession as a nurse,” he explained.
He stated that, the nurse who refused the bleeding pregnant woman at Kingham Road Hospital had been put on suspension, he described her action as poor judgement, and poor professional display and she would be put on refresher courses and deployed to a facility where she thought about the meaning to refuse a patient in such a condition.
“The doctor that was supposed to be on duty that day and all other nurses who were absent on that day have been suspended and the consultant who supposed to be on duty contract has been terminated, he was supposed to provide oversight for the hospital and to put the personnel under control,” he opined.
He continued that “the doctor at PCMH Hospital didn’t discharge his duty to the optimal level expected in examining the patient; he has also been suspended and pending investigation,” he reaffirmed.
Dr Seniese called on the public to report any issues of poor performance in service delivery from any medical practitioners.
“We know hospitals have challenges, but challenges are meant to overcome. We are working with everyone onboard and expand the hospital services in this country by building more hospital in Waterloo and Lumley to ease the pressure at the main referral system,” he explained.
He lamented that every health worker had the onus to discharge their duty in line with the oath they had sworn to protect the lives of every patients in respective of race, tribe or region.
” This situation has signified that a middle income country like Sierra Leone have challenges in health delivery system especially in personnel but not withstanding that health care professionals have the responsibilities no matter how few they are, they must discharge their duty to the best of their ability,” he explained.
