BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
With support from the Government of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has on Monday the 7th March 2022, officially launched Mobile Hospital on Wheels Project at York Village, Western Rural District. The project aims to improve Universal Health coverage wherein, health service delivery will now reach to the rural communities.
President Julius Maada Bio intimated that the mobile clinic brings inclusive quality and equitable health services to the doorsteps of Sierra Leoneans in some of the most deprived areas of the country.
He noted that these are citizens who have limited access to health services.
He assured that the mobile clinic is an innovative initiative that brings healthcare to the doorsteps of Sierra Leoneans with a full complement of health staff that includes a doctor, dentist, ophthalmologist, pharmacist, nurses, midwives, community health officer, and data entry office.
President Bio affirmed that those dedicated officers will provide specialized health outreach services to the remotest part of the country where their services are most needed. He said they will also provide the diagnostics, treatment, and referral services as needed.
He sent a strong worded warning to staff of the mobile clinic to be courteous, polite, compassionate and avoid all sorts of negative conduct that will imperil the success of this initiative. He categorically stated that charging underhand payments, illegally selling healthcare supplies and medication, siphoning fuel is totally condemned.
President bio furthered that such inimical action will just deprive sick Sierra Leoneans of healthcare. He reiterated that such actions may lead to a pregnant woman, an infant, or an elderly person dying needlessly. President Bio therefore, encouraged them to maintain the programme and safeguard the equipment.
“I have requested the Minister of Health and Sanitation to ensure that over the next four months, each of the 193 Chiefdoms should be visited wherein, the health bus will provide services to more than one million people including children, school children, young people, pregnant women, and particularly the elderly”, he said.
President Bio acknowledged that Sierra Leone’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage has been evident with international commitments, partnerships with various nations and multilateral institutions, and efforts to restructure the entire national health sector.
He continued that his government’s efforts in the health sector have been guided by the dimension of universal healthcare, to more and better service, more equitable coverage, and more access to both physical access and affordability.
President Bio revealed that Sierra Leone is one of the few countries in West Africa to invest over 12% of its national budget into health care.
He added that his Government has allocated over 75 billion Leones to refurbishing, improving, or rebuilding healthcare infrastructure right across the country.
For the first time in fifteen years, President Bio reiterated that his government has undertaken to rehabilitate Makeni Government Hospital, Magburaka Government Hospital, Port Loko Government Hospital, Kabala Government Hospital and other regional hospitals.
On his part, the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone Ambassador Hu revealed that the Mobile Clinic Vehicles are installed with medical devices.
He added that the Minister of Health and Sanitation Dr. Austin Demby has deployed special staff to man the vehicles and equipment. He added that the launch of the mobile clinic is going to definitely improve the accessibility of health service delivery especially in the rural communities.
Ambassador Hu disclosed that the Government of People’s Republic of China has been working closely with the people of Sierra Leone with a view to supporting Universal Health Coverage.
In 2018, Ambassador Hu intimated that special envoy to President Xi Jinping attended president Bio’s inauguration ceremony and promised to provide Sierra Leone with four Mobile Clinic Buses. He added that the special pledge made by the Chinese Government in 2018, has been translated in to reality which precipitated the official launch of the mobile clinic by President Bio.
“I am honored to be invited to the launch of the Mobile Health Project. First permit me to congratulate His Excellency President Maada Bio and the people of Sierra Leone on their notable achievement in social and economic development particularly in the health sector”, he said.
