By Septimus Senessie in Kono
The Koidu City Council has handed over an American Ford ambulance to officials of the Government Hospital in Kono as a donation to the district.
The council said the gesture is in fulfillment of its mandate to improve the health care delivery systems in Kono District. The vehicle is second-hand and commissioning and handing it over was done at a ceremony at the Sahr Musa Sessie Gbenda Hall in Koidu city recently.
The ambulance cost about US$18, 000. It was donated to the council by the Kono Progressive Union (KPU), a multi-ethnic civil society group which has its membership of 100 percent Kono indigenes based in New York City, United States of America.
According to Saa Emerson Lamina, the Mayor of Koidu City, the vehicle has advanced facilities, including “first class classical oxygen system and a first aid treatment pharmacy” for the treatment of sick patients from the point of collection to the referral hospital.
He disclosed that the money used to acquire the vehicle came from the “2012 New York Fund Raiser Party” organized for him by members of the organization, after he was invited by them on his assumption of office as mayor in 2012. He said in that fund raiser party, Sierra Leoneans in the USA were invited to come and see the then young mayor for a fee of $20, which was added to money generated from individual pledges.
Mr. Lamina said the ambulance would be used to boost both the internal and external referral systems of the Free Health Care initiative in the district. He said the donation of the ambulance to the Koidu Hospital was in fulfillment of pillar three of the Agenda for Prosperity, which deals with the improvement of “human development” and part five of the Local Council Act of 2004 which mandates the council to “bring development to its people.”
The mayor then urged the hospital management to handle the ambulance with care and to adopt maintenance culture for its sustainability.
He called on other organizations to emulate the “fine” quality of KPU-NYC.
The District Medical Superintendent of the Government Hospital in Koidu, Dr. Roland Cashon-Marsh, described the donation of the ambulance as “timely,” noting that the Koidu referral hospital only had one functioning ambulance. He emphasized that the donated one would be used for external and internal purposes as was earlier said by the mayor. He therefore thanked KPU and the mayor for addressing one of the most pressing needs of their people in the district.
Mohamed Jalloh, Executive Director of the Kono-based civil society organization ‘Knowledge for Community Empowerment Organization’, who is also a technical adviser to the Kono District Civil Society Network, thanked the mayor and said they did not have any doubt in his leadership. Mr. Jalloh described the ambulance as “unique,” and promised that they would supervise its proper utilizations.
(C) Politico 23/06/15
