By Saio Marrah
Tonkolili district Paramount Chief Member of Parliament, Bai Kurr Kanagbaro Sanka III, has claimed that ECOMED a medical diagnostics and laboratory facility that is situated at 19 off Upper Kingharman Road, Brookfield in Freetown, is supposed to be a government- owned property.
Speaking in the Well of Parliament, on Thursday the 20th May, 2021, he said government was supposed to have 60% shares, while the public and the Ghanaian medical doctors have 20% each.
He continued by saying that he has documents to support his claim: “I can give you documents. It is owned by the government of Sierra Leone. The Norwegian government gave us 60% of that.” he added.
The Paramount Chief also stated: “Somebody manipulated and took it over, making millions of Leones every day. It is not owned by the so called owner.”
He said a country like Sierra Leone does not have key scanning facilities. “You pay Five million leones to have MRL at ECOMED. And I can tell you definitely that ECOMED is owned by the government of Sierra Leone. It has been seized over,” he claimed. The Chief‘s claim was highlighted whilst making his submission during debate on the “Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency which has already been ratified by parliament.
For this reason, the Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Abass Bundu, ordered him to produce the document and hand it over to the Committee on Health. He also instructed the committee to report to the House of Parliament within four weeks on the allegations made and after which the House will determine its next step. ECOMED is an established medical facility that provides services for fees that are well beyond the reach of majority of Sierra Leoneans.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online
