By Allieu Sahid Tunkara
Repeated public outcry on the low quality of the health system in Sierra Leone has taken centre stage even in the pre-Ebla period over all other issues in the country.
Successive governments have been grappling with various health problems forcing them to make fine promises for the revamping of the health sector. The current government came up with an initiative known as the ‘Free health Care’ in April 2010 to cater for the most vulnerable groups of society - Under five children, pregnant women and lactating mothers - while other groups are required to pay certain sums of money for accessing medical service.
Fatmata Tarawallie is a community health officer within the Fourah Bay Community and has been in active service in the health sector for over 20 years. The community health post on Kennedy Street just opposite Henry Fergusson Secondary School is her foresight from which hundreds of people in the community are benefitting. The health post known as the ‘Well Body Hospital’ came into existence in 2007 when the project for the establishment of the post was approved by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. This post offers wide ranging health services including delivery, antenatal and post natal services and general health services, among others.
The head of the hospital, Madam Fatmata Tarawallie explained that medical services provided to the categories of people in the free health care are on ‘free of charge basis’ while others pay based on assessment of their health condition.
The health post is government funded but the main problem confronting it is the shortage of drugs to take care of minor ailments in the community.
“The health post cannot provide the required drugs to all patients coming to the hospital because most of the drugs are not available,’’ Madam Tarawallie said.
To lend a helping hand to patients, nurses give them prescription documents and advise them to purchase certain drugs from pharmacies.
The shortage of drugs in the health post is compounded by the level of poverty in the community since most of the people cannot pay for the available drugs. Those who cannot meet the medical bills are provided with start up treatment known as ‘first aid treatment’ just to keep them going.
During my visit to the hospital, a lady known as Kuntumi Johnson of Wright Street within the Fourah Bay community arrived in the post and complained of cold and requested the nurse-in-charge to treat her. She could not get the medical treatment because she was unable to pay for the medical service.
“I don’t have money, but I really need the treatment,’’ Kuntumi appealed. The nurse exercised her compassion and gave her some medicines which I think is not the right dosage to cure her illness.
‘’The highest money they pay for any medical service in the health post is Le 20, 000 (US$5). The community is just too poor to afford medical charges,’’ Madam Tarawalie explained.
This is a health post catering for over tens of thousands of residents in the Fourah Bay community. Therefore, the post is their only source of hope especially when deadly diseases broke out including cholera. Even throughout this Ebola period, the health post remained operational because the community people, to a great extent, rely on it. It was rather unfortunate that one of the nurses, Patricia Bockarie, who was second-in- command contracted the Ebola virus and subsequently passed away.
This article was published in collaboration with Ouestafnews with the support of Osiwa
(C) Politico 23/07/15
