By Francis H. Murray
Activities have commenced in the chiefdom headquarters town of Taiama, Kori Chiefdom, in the Southern district of Moyamba for the construction of an Emergency and Trauma Centre.
The project is engineered by a joint partnership with Njala University, Sierra Leone’s Embassy in Seoul, South Korea and the Medical Peace Foundation.
The ceremony for the commissioning of the construction phase of the project was held on Friday 16th October, 2020 at the project site at Mokaba in Taiama. The centre, when constructed, will be named Madam Yoko Emergency and Trauma Care Centre, officials said. It will be the first of its kind outside the capital, Freetown.
In his opening remarks at the commissioning ceremony, the Chairman, who is also the acting Chairman of the Njala University Court, Joseph Munda Bindi disclosed that Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to South Korea, Kathos Jibao Mattia had secured fund amounting to USD 36,000 from the Chairman of the Medical Peace Foundation in South Korea for the construction project. He went on to note that medical supplies, furniture and other equipment worth thousands of dollars had already been shipped into the country from South Korea to help equip the Centre upon its completion.
Mr Bindi added that the university had not only been keen in providing the educational needs of the host communities but also in providing their health needs, which he said had propelled the institution to partner with the country’s Ambassador in South Korea and the Chairman of the Medical Peace Foundation.
Chairman Bindi acknowledged the people of Kori Chiefdom for providing the land for the establishment of the University and hinted that they would have to consider providing more land to accommodate the expanding nature of the institution.
On behalf of his subjects, Paramount Chief Thomas Borbor Gbappie, expressed their appreciation in witnessing events connected to the construction of the Emergency and Trauma Care Centre in his chiefdom, and he assured Njala University and the country in general of their willingness to provide land to support any other future development project.
The Acting Vice Chancellor and Principal, Njala University, Professor Osman A. Sankoh, thanked his predecessors Professor Abdullah Mansaray and Professor Bob Kandeh for working hard to bring such a laudable project to the people of Kori Chiefdom.
He assured the people of Kori that his administration, even in his absence as Vice Chancellor and Principal, would put all the necessary resources and energy to ensure the project is brought to fruition.
Representing the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Josephus Brimah emphasized the importance of the construction of such a facility in the country especially in the wake of the consequences of the eleven-year rebel war and the high incidences of trauma cases in the country. He committed the support of the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education to the project, which according to him is complementing the government’s human capital development project.
Delivering his keynote address, the Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation 1, Dr. Anthony Sandi commended the university administration for partnering with the Ambassador of South Korea to complement the government’s flagship project. He recalled that the University had a long history of contributing to the country’s health sector through the training of Community Health Officers and other middle and junior level health practitioners in the country.
The Deputy Minister assured authorities that the Ministry of Health would fully support the hospital with subvention and other related issues to enhance the effectiveness of the Centre. He lauded the geographical location of the Centre and noted that it will help in addressing the many accident cases occurring along the highway.
The Member of Parliament for Constituency 98, Dominic Lavallie -Tshombie urged the administration of Njala University and the contractor to make available the project documents and the original design of it so as to put them in a proper footing to monitor the project.
The Chief Executive Officer, Mogbwe Engineering and Construction Services, Joel Kamanda, who is the contractor for the project, assured the participants present that his company would execute the project in record time and will fully utilize the locals, in terms of available employment. He urged the community stakeholders to protect the property of the project so as to ensure that his company delivers as expected.
The climax of the ceremony was the pouring of libation by the traditional people of Kori Chiefdom to officially commence the construction process.
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