By Septimus Senessie in Kono.
It seems Christmas has come too early for the Koidu Government Hospital as a Christian non-governmental organization over the weekend donated assorted medical equipment to the hospital.
With support from their partners in Austria, Korea and Taiwan, World Vision Sierra Leone (WV-S/L) donated Microscope Slide, Disposable Limbs, Leg pillows, baby care kits, synthetic examination gloves and child care kits to the Koidu government hospital.
Presenting the items, the Base Manager of World Vision Kono Branch office, Catharine Sillah said the donation “is to encourage and promote institutional delivery by pregnant women and abort home delivery in the district.”
He said that after the introduction of the Free Health Care initiative there were still challenges in the implementation of the initiative including "logistical constraints, faced in home delivery by a good number of pregnant women through Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) and general staff constraint.”
Madam Sillah said that over the years, her organisation provided training for health workers at Peripheral Health Units to help improve their efficiency in carrying out their operations.
She warned workers at the Government Hospital that they should use them for the benefit of the people and that the items should not be sold.
The District Medical Official, Dr. Francis Jayah, thanked World Vision for "rescuing" the hospital over the years. He assured the NGO of "the proper utilisation of the donated items" saying government had introduced the Free Health Care Initiative but that that alone could not sustain it.
The DMO said that with the intervention of the donor partners, the country would succeed in reducing infant and maternal deaths in the country significantly.”
(C) Politico 10/12/13
