Deputy Health Minister Commences Assessment Tour of Health Facilities in the Northern Region
Freetown, Mar. 30, 015 (MOHS) – Deputy Health and Sanitation Minister 1, Mr. Foday Sawi has embarked on an assessment tour of health facilities in the Koinadugu and Bombali districts ahead of the post Ebola era. (Photo: Deputy Health and Sanitation Minister 1, Mr. Foday Sawi )
Addressing senior staff of the District Health Management Team at the Kabala Government Hospital Administrative Building hall, Mr. Foday Sawi on behalf of the Minister, Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah commended the front line health workers for the great sacrifice and relentless efforts in the fight against the disease.
He reiterated the need for them to continue the hard work and dedication to service and call on them to redouble their efforts to attain Ebola zero infection rate.
The Deputy Minister informed his audience that his mission aimed at identifying the challenges faced in tackling the Ebola pandemic, and the required support to bring the scourge to an immediate end.
The District Medical Officer, Dr. Francis Moses described the Deputy Minister’s visit as timely adding that the visit shows that Koinadugu is in the hearts and minds of the Ministry.
He informed the Deputy Minister that Koinadugu register their first Ebola Case on the 15th October 2014 and up to the visit they have a total of 109 cases in the district.
Dr. Moses expressed the need for the construction and rehabilitation of additional health facilities with a view to meeting the post Ebola challenges in the entire district.
The Medical Superintendent, Dr. Caeser Charlly said the hospital is grossly understaff, and that the Incinerator used is no longer functional with electricity supply also being a problem for the effective functioning of the hospital.
Cross section of staff of Kabala Government Hospital
He also enumerated poor water supply as a big concern and advocated for additional medical equipment for the theater, the laboratory, and a standard scanning machine.
The hospital, Frances Pearce reported human resource capacity as another big challenge in the hospital, and appealed for more midwives
Briefing the Deputy Minister at the District Health Management Team office in Bombali, the District Heath Sister, Patricia Serry-Kamal said during the outbreak of Ebola in July last year, they established three Holding and three Treatment centres, adding that due to the drastic reduction of the number of Ebola cases, they decided to scale down to one Holding and Treatment centres for case management.
Sister Serry-Kamal told the Deputy Minister that they received support from UNICEF through DFID and other stakeholders to established 15 Community Care Centres but was later reduce to 9 because of the re-opening of schools.
The Medical Superintendent, Dr. Mamoud Idriss Kamara disclosed that they had a bed capacity of 250 before the outbreak of Ebola but reduced to 80 beds.
He informed the Minister that they encountered lot of challenges which included the upgrading of the Regional hospital and other health facilities in the district to an acceptable standard. Accommodation for staff, recruitment of additional health workers, and equipment in the facilities, among others were also highlighted.
A visit to the Command Centre of the Bombali District Ebola Response Centre formed high point of the tour.
KK/MOHS
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