By Prince J Musa in Kenema
As part of the entry requirement into the Eastern Technical University (ETU), John Juana Registrar of the University has said that every new student at the university will be required to undergo a medical screening before admission.
He made the statement on the 11th of September 2023 at the official launch of a health facility called Express Care Medical Clinic in Kenema.
Juana highlighted the relevance of advanced medical technology in that part of the country and assured the owners of the clinic that ETU will support and work with them to ensure that the health of students and lecturers is prioritized.
He said they are happy to have the clinic in their district, explaining that one cannot associate certain signs and symptoms to one disease; revealing that with the clinic’s advanced technological instrument, diseases will be diagnosed.
Speaking on what motivated the establishment of the clinic, Lead Initiator of Express Care Medical Clinic Dr. Alhaji Osman Smith explained that when he was sent to work in Kenema in 2014, he noticed government medical facilities in district hospitals do not have advanced equipment, which on many occasions have led to referrals of the patients to Freetown in a bid to get them diagnosed.
Dr. Smith said they did not establish the clinic for their personal benefit but to help create a platform where other Sierra Leoneans can access better medical facilities and for medical doctors in the country to get the opportunity to practice and share experiences across the country. “This clinic is to complement the effort of government in health service delivery in Sierra Leone for our people, ‘’ Dr. Smith said.
Speaking on the facilities they have, he said the facility has top-notch equipment, and machines that perform several tests that are not available in government facilities across the country, citing that they have a machine to test whether the lung functions well, and one that differentiates bone diseases, and one that provides DNA test on an affordable basis.
Co-partner of the Clinic Dr. Robert Joseph Samuel said the district and its environs have been experiencing several health challenges, stating that the clinic will serve as a hub for other doctors to render service for the people. The doctor added that the centre will help with health research which will enhance the effective health service delivery in the country.
He disclosed that they intend to provide free health screening for two hundred and fifty people, for diseases such as diabetes amongst others.
The District Medical Officer Kenema Dr. Donald Samuel Grant said that the clinic will contribute to the health sector in their district.
He said the clinic would create additional value for the district, explaining that after people had exhausted other facilities in search of diagnoses and other health services, they would have to travel to Kenema to access such services.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (15/09/23)
