Sadiq Silla
By Mohamed T Massaquoi
The chairman of Pujehun District Council, Sadiq Silla, has said the health sector is gradually recovering from the effect of the Ebola epidemic. While highlighting his achievements in the health sector, Silla said things were getting back to normal and he credited his administration and relevant stakeholders for this.
He was speaking to Politico in an interview on developments within the health sector in Pujehun and his council’s effort in ensuring this. He said his greatest achievement throughout his term in office has been in the health sector and security management in the district.
SiIla said like everywhere else in the country, Pujehun had gone through the government’s nine months ‘Post Ebola Recovery Plan’ successfully, and that they were now working on the second phase, which is the ‘President’s Delivery Priorities. He spoke about works on the referral systems, distribution of drugs to peripheral health units, renovation and rehabilitation of health facilities, among other achievements.
“Over and above it all, as a district we are not only looking up to the government, international partners and NGOs, we are also talking to our brothers in and out of sierra Leone to assist in the medical field,'' Silla said on the sideline of a ceremony last week marking the handing over of a consignment of donated materials to the Pujehun Maternity Hospital.
The items included some 35 five cartons of essential clinical materials donated by the Pujehun District Descendants Association (PDDA) America branch. Silla valued the items at $10, 000.
A similar donation was done by the same organization just after the district was declared Ebola free, Silla recalled.
Pujehun, in the south of the country, was the first district to be declared Ebola free.
Silla, who was elected as chairman of the Pujehun District Council in 2007, under the ticket of the main opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), revealed that this is his last term as council chairman. He said he intended to run for parliament from where he hopes to continue to influence development for his people. Silla is looking at contesting either in Constituency 87 or Constituency 89 in the same district.
The Pujehun Maternity Hospital which benefited from the donation is run by the Italian charity CUAAM, otherwise called Doctors with Africa.
According to Silla, the Italian doctors who runs center have already renovated all the PHUs in the district, including the main government hospital. He said that was made possible thanks to the lobbyist approach of the Council. He also praised the commitment of the locals.
He added that the Italians had promised to bring in modem equipment to the main government hospital. Silla also commended the RSLAF personnel in Pujehun for their efforts in helping to clean the township and health quarters.
According to him, they have got all the modem equipments needed, including an ultrasound system, at the maternity hospital. He said one unique thing about Pujehun as a district was that the free health care concept was working 100%.
''At whatever distance one maybe, for the fact that you fall under the free health care category and you fall sick, you are given the opportunity to take any transportation means and the moment you arrive the transportation cost is paid straight off,'' he explained.
Silla said his only concern was the growing number of reports of sexual abuse of women and girls.
“The only perennial problem in my district is the issue of sexual abuse against our young girls,” he stated, calling on all in the district to engage the leadership of women in political positions in effort to address the problem with collective efforts.
The District Medical Officer, Dr David Bome, remarked at the handing over ceremony that the donation was timely and that the items were the essential materials needed to take care of the beneficiaries of the free healthcare - lactating mothers, pregnant women and under-five children. He said he had no doubt in the political leadership of the district in giving support to the health sector.
Bome stressed that as a district they could only succeed in their work through collective efforts from both the political leaders and the ordinary people. He noted that with this collaboration, Pujehun has had, “if not the best, one of the best maternity hospital in the entire country.”
But with all these medical facilities, the district medical officer had earlier lamented in a public health meeting that the major problem in the district was that pregnant women and children under five were still dying.
A civil society activist working for the Health For All Coalition in Pujehun, Mohamed Kallon, told Politico that the donation was very necessary and that it would help to build robust Infection Prevention Control mechanisms in the district. He said this would also help to reduce the risk of laser fever which he said one chiefdom in the district, Malen, was prone to.
Kallon also praised PDDA America branch for their continued help to the district, especially in the area of sustainable health system. He advised though that health workers should take proper care of the donated items and utilize them effectively and efficiently.
Kallon said he was impressed with the idea of transportation reimbursement for referrals of sick, under five children from any location in the district by the Italian doctors. He said his only frustration had been the attitude of both patients and local health workers. He said with all the facilities some patients do report sick at the wrong time and that most of the health workers do not treat their work with seriousness in the area of administering treatment.
© Politico 27/07/16
