Community Health Officers Intensify Strike Action
The Sierra Leone Association of Community Health Officers (SLACHO) head office at the Central Medical Store, New England in Freetown remains closed as a means of intensifying their sit down nationwide strike action which started September 10th 2017.
In an effort to know the position of the strike action, a team of investigative Journalists paid visit yesterday at the said Government Medical Store to enquire from either the Chief Community Health Officer, Abu Conteh or his Deputy but nobody was found in the entire office as they are still pushing their course forward so that they can be recognized by Government through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS).
In subsequent press briefings held at SLACHO head office, over one thousand five hundred veteran Community Health Officers (CHO) who have diligently serving the nation for the past thirty two (32) years decided to lay down tools because they alleged that the Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Abubakarr Fofanah on several occasion has been threatening that he will ensure the enacted CHO Bill remain dormant by stopping President Koroma not to support or sign it to become law.
According to the disappointed CHO’s, they will only go back to work if their interest is addressed by passing the bill in to law so that they would develop confidence to legally practice their noble profession without fear or favor.
They further alleged that, Minister Fofanah has stated clearly that even if the Bill is taken to State House for Presidential endorsement, he will prevent President Koroma from doing that so that he will establish an Allied Health Practitioners (AHP) to enrich his Curriculum Vitae (CV) and reduced Government burden.
They therefore appealed to President Koroma to see reason why he should fast track the issue of signing the Bill in to law so that they can be proud as citizens in performing their duty of saving lives.
By Abdulai Mento Kamara
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