By Mabinty Kamara
Dr Christian Bell, one of Sierra Leone’s very few trained gynecologists, has retired from public service. He announced his departure to private practice last month at the opening of a state of the earth private health facility – Aspen Medical International Sierra Leone.
Aspen Medical International is a US-owned healthcare provider. The Sierra Leone office, jointly owned by Bell, is its second branch in West Africa, after Aspen Medical in Liberia.
The facility, situated at Brookfield in the west end of Freetown, will offer comprehensive primary care services, emergency care, laboratory facilities, and is fully integrated with Aspen medicals aero-medical evacuation (AME) networks in West Africa, according to the management. It said the hospital is equipped with six modern hospital beds and a life support machine and has both international and local staff to ensure quality delivery.
Dr Bell was at the center of the debate on the controversial abortion law. His presentation on behalf of the Medical and Dental Council denouncing the piece of legislation championed by pro-choice campaigners fuelled the debate further.
He argued that only trained and qualified gynecologists who were conversant with the female anatomy should perform abortion. But this position has been challenged by others who say in the absence of gynecologists nurses and midwives can be trained to conduct abortion.
According to sources within the health ministry, there are less than five trained gynecologists in the whole country, and Dr Bell is one of them.
He studied medicine in Germany and has been practicing for decades in the government sector. He told the ceremony marking the opening of Aspen last month that he had long dreamt of establishing a modern private hospital in the country.
“I will now hand over the baton to other medical practitioners after serving for years as a gynecologist,” he said.
“It is my hard work and God’s blessings that have landed me where I am today,” he added.
The occasion was graced by First Lady Sia Nyamma Koroma, who referred to Dr Bell as “one of the finest gynecologists in the country.” She revealed that he delivered her two children.
Elaine Sey, business development manager, Aspen Medical Sierra Leone, told Politico during a sideline interview that the new center brings ground breaking health services to the country.
“If I get sick here, I will receive the same care and medication that I should have got in the UK”, she said.
Mr Foday Sawai, deputy minister of Health and Sanitation I, assured the management of the the “world class clinic” of the “full moral and political support of the government.” He said with such a facility in the country, there would be no need to fly out in search of medical care.
(C) Politico 23/02/16
