By Jenneh Braima
The Buddhist Tzu chi Foundation, based in Taiwan, is set to adopt eleven healthcare facilities in Sierra Leone with the aim of equipping and enabling them provide maximum healthcare delivery services to highly vulnerable communities.
Seven hospitals and four clinics have been identified, including the government hospitals in Kenema and Bo, the PCMH, Connaught and the 34th Military hospitals in Freetown, as well as the government hospitals in Port Loko and Kambia.
These disclosures were made Tuesday at a press conference organized by CARITAS Sierra Leone, which is one of several local partners involved in this grand scheme.
Other local partners are the Lanyi Education Advancement and Development (LEAD) Foundation, and the Healey International Relief Foundation (HIRF).
Stephen Fomba, West Africa Project Manager for Tzu chi Foundation, remarked that while progress had been made in bringing the Ebola crisis under control, a number of new cases were still being reported each week. This, he said, made their intervention paramount. He said with this project they planned to support people and families affected by the outbreak.
And towards this end, he disclosed, the Tzu chi Foundation in January shipped five “oceanic containers” full of donated materials from Taiwan to Sierra Leone. He said they contained multifunctional items among which were potable beds, blankets, and even food in the form of rice.
These, Fomba said, were due for delivery to their local partners this week for onward distribution to Ebola treatment and holding centers, as well as hospitals and families affected by the disease.
Some of the shipped items are meant for the adopted health facilities.
Mr Fomba said this is part of their aim to address issues around deficiencies in the country`s health care infrastructure which has partly been blamed for high rates of infant mortality and maternal death even before Ebola. They are also to ensure that the health care system is designed so that future pandemics can be better controlled, he said.
“The Ebola crisis is not over until there are zero cases in Sierra Leone and West Africa. Though progress has been made, we cannot let up in our efforts. The beds, blanket, food supplies will alleviate the suffering of thousands here in Sierra Leone,” said Programme Manager Caritas, Ishmael Alfred Charles.”
The Kenema Government Hospital, which is one of the intended beneficiaries, was at the center of the fight against the Ebola epidemic when it first broke out last year. Hundreds of lives have been lost there, among them tens of health workers. The cumulative effect of this and the running down of the center`s facilities have left it virtually useless.
Over a year on, the hospital is back to its original state before the epidemic, as though the government hadn’t learnt from the experience. Joseph Tayormadieh Kamara, the hospital secretary, sad in a recent interview with Politico that their major problems concerned mobility.
Only two ambulances were available in the hospital, he said, adding that he was afraid that during the rains they might not be able to venture beyond 25km distance to collect patience.
Kenema serves as referral for many communities in that eastern part of the country, making ambulance service crucial for the hospital.
Kamara also spoke about lack of beds as most of their beds have been burnt down due to the Ebola virus infection. Perhaps the worst predicament of the Kenema government hospital authorities is water.
© Politico 17/03/15
