President Ernest Bai Koroma yesterday officially opened the Sierra Leone-China Friendship hospital, Kossoh Town in Jui in the east end of Freetown.
Information Minister, Alhaji I.B. Kargbo, while chairing the opening, said that the facilities of the hospital are a major milestone towards bringing world class health care and medical medication to Sierra Leone.
The hospital, he said, demonstrates not only government’s commitment to the health care service delivery but also the long standing relationship and friendship with the Peoples Republic of China.
In his statement while opening the hospital, President Ernest Bai Koroma said that the event marks a milestone in government’s efforts to bring world class health care facilities and medical education to Sierra Leone.
He said that in 2007, he promised improved health care services and shortly after, in consultation with the donor communities, his Government introduced the Free Health Care Initiative.
“It was a bold step we took, adding that as a responsible government, we should take over what was preventing our people from accessing health care facilities in this country. The President stated that to ensure the successful implementation of this initiative, we have rehabilitated and constructed stores and government hospitals in the country” he said.
He also said, “we have also increased the salaries of health workers and have ensured with support from our development partners, the improvement on the equipment and services in these hospitals”, he added .
He further stated that the hospital is evidence of Government’s commitment towards improving the health care services and a demonstration of the mutual benefit that has been derived from the friendship established with China over the past forty-years.
“I am sure Sierra Leoneans will agree with me that most of what we can see around as a solid infrastructural development has been as a result of support provided from our friends from China”, he affirmed.
Today, “we are here to launch this hospital. We are indeed proud that for the first time we have a 100-bed hospital. For the first time, we have a hospital that we can carry out diagnostic tests and provide other services that could only be accessed in other countries.
He also said that his Government is proud to be addressing the pressing and demanding issues of the people. “We don’t need to fly our people to Ghana anymore for CT scan; we don’t need to send our people to Senegal anymore for dialysis. We can provide these services in this hospital now”.
He thanked all those that have been part and parcel of the great work.
In his statement, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Kuang Weilin thanked President Koroma for his valuable support and assistance. He said that without this support, the situation would have been different.
He said ‘today, we reap a bumper harvest of the hard work and joint efforts of the two countries. I know things have not been easy. I know both sides have worked hard to make it a complete success. I know that various ministries have made their contributions to the project and particularly, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation have worked closely with the Chinese Embassy and Chinese companies and doctors”.
Ambassador Weilin stated that the name Sierra Leone-China Friendship is reminiscent of many achievements in the bilateral cooperation. “The new hospital is a new landmark of China- Sierra Leone friendship and cooperation”, he said.
The ambassador also noted that over the past 40 years since China and Sierra Leone established diplomatic ties, the two countries have conducted fruitful cooperation in various fields and the peoples of both countries have benefited from the close relationship.
The Chinese Ambassdor renewed China’s commitment to Sierra Leone, saying that his country will remain a close friend and partner for Sierra Leone in the latter’s efforts to develop its economy and improved people’s life.
The hospital covers a total area of 16,579 square meters with a built-up area 7,738 square meters. The 100-bed hospital equipped with various modern medical equipment such as a type B ultra sound scan, CT scanner, X-ray, a set of full range of biochemical testing medical equipment. It also consists of clinical departments such as departments of internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, ENT, ophthalmology, stomatology, infectious diseases, emergency, rehabilitation physiotherapy, hemodialysis and ICU.
By Abibatu Kamara
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