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The Need to Overhaul Our Health Sector

Author: Richard B Bockarie - SEM

It is certainly very difficult to argue the extent of the success of Ernest Koroma’s Administration in the various areas of need for the past two years even though some other areas are undoubtedly seeing the light and tasting of frantic reforms and development.

One certainly cannot debunk the speed with which the Hydro electrification programme was pieced together the present non-compromising stance of the president on issues like corruption and non-delivery in public offices.

We certainly would not also say that nothing has been done by the presidency and his government to refit the health care system in the country, especially the primary health care. Whilst many moves have been made to institute many programmes that are to work for the achievement of a clean and fitting public health care system, other areas still suffer and needs remain to have them overhauled.

We hear of the president’s dream to institute a free primary health care. This is certainly a very good and workable solution for our perishing health system that has for the past years been one of the factors that has wrecked the country at the abyss of the Human Development Index (HDI). It is therefore very commendable of the president to institute an idea that will rescue us from the immeasurable bottom of the HDI.

Whist this might be an acknowledged solution to some of the problems we encounter in health care service delivery in the country, it could hardly work if other factors and areas are not brought to par, solution wise with the implementation of the free primary health care.

One of the perennial disturbances that has hooked the growth and development of our health sector is that of the remuneration and conditions of service of our health care professionals. Over the years we have lost the vast many of them to even countries like Liberia, The Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria; talk least of those that have flocked to the West in search of greener pastures. The pitiable condition of service of our health care professionals if not amended and brought to speed with current and intended developments in the health sector, we definitely may end up flopping the whole programme of achieving a free primary health care programme.

Of late, complaints abound about the shortage of drugs at government medical installations; which to a very large extent is no news, but must be greatly considered as regularizing drugs and medical supply to primary health care facilities is an invaluable requirement for the successful implementation of such a laudable programme.

What about health care legislations? By their present standards, most of them are weak and by far too pristine to fit current dispensation. It is no news that counterfeit drug peddlers and fake doctors and self styled medical centres abound in the country. The government, medical and dental council and the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone have many times moved after these renegades disturbing the health care service delivery in the country but could hardly ever succeed as the laws to prosecute and bring these people to the book are very much inadequate and as such, these institutions could only do their best but the problem remains unsolved for most of the time.

Until such measures are taken into consideration in repairing our country’s health sector, all efforts-those of government, development agencies and national health care agencies will continue to spill into the drains and we continue to keep our place at the bottom of the Human Development Index!

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The Need to Overhaul Our Health Sector

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