Dr Abubakarr Fofanah, health minister
By Crispina Cummings
Minister of health-designate has asked the parliamentary committee on appointment to allow him to mobilise resources for burial teams to deliver corpses without delay, “because I don’t want to see any corpse on the streets”.
Dr Abubakarr Fofanah said he would sign a social contract with his staff and engage them to find out what they needed to facilitate speedy burials, adding that finance, manpower and logistics would be provided to them.
He assured that if that was approved and the resources provided for them, the public could hold them responsible for any failure in delivery.
Dr Fofanah, who awaits parliamentary approval after his recent appointment by the president, said he was worried about the Ebola disease and its effect on the country’s health sector. He said he was even more troubled by the public’s lack of confidence in health workers, adding that he would spend his first few months trying to regain that confidence.
Dr Fofanah observed that though the nation had done its best in fighting the disease, more effort was needed to conquer it “as our best has not been good enough”. He pointed out that the world over health care management was very large and complex with critical mandates, adding that a lot of teamwork, regular meetings and feedback were needed to get the required results.
He asked the appointments committee to allow him utilise the expertise of 12 deputy ministers from other ministries to help him monitor the performances of health workers in all districts in the country.
He announced the completion of some 27 health outposts in Bo, Port Loko, Bonthe, Kenema and Tonkolili.
(C) Politico 09/09/14
