By Prince Musa
Nurses and other health workers at the government hospital in Kenema protested on Friday over the arrest of three midwives recently posted there to bolster the medical team in the fight to beat down the high maternal mortality rate in the district.
The newly posted midwives, Matilda Sandi, Haja Conteh and Isatu Kallie, were issued with a court order to vacate the premises allocated to them by the Medical Superintendent, Dr Prince Masuba.
The hospital secretary, Joseph T. Kamara told Politico that they received a letter from the Provincial Secretary, George Penyikie that they were to hand over the quarters as it had been assigned to the second magistrate, Samuel Koroma, after the nurses had already occupied the building three days earlier.
He said that upon receiving the letter, he called the attention of the District Medical Officer, Dr. Mohamed Vandi whom he said contacted the Provincial Secretary for clarification but to no avail.
He said the incident was communicated to the Mayor, Joseph Keifala, the officer of the Office for National Security and other stakeholders but that no effort was made, only for the nurses to be approached by police at 07:00 am with a court order to vacate, just as they were preparing to go to work.
The nurses were arrested and taken to the magistrate court which prompted their colleagues to go on a protest march in solidarity. They said they would not go back to work until their colleagues had been released and their quarters handed back to the hospital management for nurses.
The Medical Superintendent, Dr. Prince Masuba told Politico that the residence in question had been assigned to the hospital for over five years. He said before 2014, Tulane University gave Le 20 million for its rehabilitation for the late virologist Dr. Shek Humar Khan, but following his death in that year it was assigned to Dr. Alhaji Smith. He said Dr Smith did not occupy the place for lack of furniture until the midwives were put up there.
The Provincial Secretary, George Penyikie said he was aware of the letter but that it was neither signed nor stamped by his office. He went on that as the administrator in charge of government quarters, he would allocate residence to government officials so long the premises were not being occupied. He said he was not aware that the quarters had been allocated to the midwives.
Following the intervention of the mayor, the ONS, the high court judge and the hospital management, the quarters were handed over to the midwives.
© Politico 19/07/16
