By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
Officials representing the Management of Connaught Hospital in Freetown have in a conducted tour around the facility updated journalists on their management strategy in order to improve service delivery to the nation.
In his presentation, Dr. Gibrilla Fadlu-Deen who is a consultant Physician at Connaught hospital briefed journalists on the University of Sierra Leone Teaching Complex. He said the teaching complex was created by an Act of Parliament that signalled a new beginning for healthcare practitioners and care service delivery in Sierra Leone.
Dr. Deen said the teaching facility comprises six hospitals namely Connaught hospital, Ola During hospital, PCMH, Kissy Psychiatric hospital, Lakka Infectious Diseases hospital, and Jui hospital. He said in addition they are affiliated with the Makeni hospital, Bo government hospital, Kenema hospital, Choithrams, and Emergency hospital. “So the teaching hospital is working in collaboration with these other institutions,’’ he said.
Dr. Fadulu Deen highlighted the three mandates of the University of Sierra Leone teaching hospital which is to serve as an institution for both undergraduate and postgraduate training in medical and allied health sciences, to undertake research into topics and issues that are relevant to the Sierra Leone context, and to provide advanced health services that meet the highest international and ethical standards of care. He said the board of the administration is the governing body of the University of Sierra Leone teaching complex, and the Chief Medical Director is the supreme head of the teaching hospital assisted by the Deputy Chief Medical Director and the Director of administration.
The Hospital Care Manager at Connaught, Dr. Mustapha Sundufu Kabba in his statement said the hospital is the main referral hospital in the country that hosts the University of Sierra Leone teaching hospital complex. He said the hospital has an admission capacity of approximately 350 beds with specialized and sub-specialized doctors. He said since his appointment as a care manager, his mandate is to provide 24 hours basic care amenities in the hospital, to consolidate and expand on specialist services, and to develop an excellent teaching hospital adjusted to the needs of the sub-region.
Dr. Kabba said that the hospital is experiencing a rapid and excellent transformation such as the renovation of five wards in six months which has taken place. “We hope to start renovation at the outpatient department which is a very difficult place. Contractors hired by the government have already been handed over by the Minister of Health and Sanitation to continue the rest of the renovation at the hospital,’’ he said. He also mentioned that a specialized stroke unit has been established with a ramp facility. He said the Oncology and Laboratory Unit is well equipped, adding that the surgical unit has been providing uninterrupted facilities in the past six months.
The Hospital Care manager said that basic medical needs that people had been flown out of the country for, can now be done at Connaught. He also spoke about a dedicated waste management truck that has been allocated to the hospital so that they can dispose of their waste medical materials.
Copyright © 2022 Politico (04/02/22)
