The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Steven Velabo Shongwe, has pledged their unflinching support to government for undertaking an Independent Management and Functional Review (IMFR) and proffer recommendations to make the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) fit for purpose.
He made this commitment during a three day retreat by the ministry and partners aimed at reviewing the September 2018 Bo Retreat Communique where the following commitments were made: strengthen the institutional capacity of the ministry; create further synergies between the ministry and other MDAs; and create an open, transparent and enabling partner environment for Health Development and Implementation (HDI) partners where program alignment and complementarity between the ministry and HDI partners will be assured.
Shongwe acknowledged that as partners, the WHO sees the retreat as very important as it will provide the ministry the opportunity to identify issues and gather information that will feed into the IMFR.
He said retreats are always desirable for being ahead of time in knowing and understanding issues and consequently making preparations prior to any external review. He assured that, “WHO would support the exercise to a logical conclusion, knowing that the ministry is engaged in a number of key activities which have serious implications for management and governance of the sector, especially development of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Roadmap.”
He furthered that, “Sierra Leone is determined to honour its pledges to attain the global mandates and declaration it has signed on ‘Transforming our World,’ the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
The Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation (1), Anthony Vandy, told ministry staff and partners that they are in Bo to continuously reflect on certain decisions made in 2018 that were aimed at strengthening the health capacity of the country.
He said there were three major issues raised during the past retreats noting that they are expected to assess those commitments made and strategies on the way forward towards the institutional capacity strengthening roadmap. The Deputy Minister acknowledged that there is no way the ministry will succeed in achieving all it goals and objectives without its partners and management against which background the retreat was organised.
He therefore called for team work among staff, ministry and partners pointing that team work is one of the principles of management which cannot be achieved without total commitment and intervention from all sector players.
Minister Vandy appealed to the participants to bring up their ideas and work together in achieving their set goals especially from experience gained during the outbreak of Ebola, which he said is greatly assisting in the fight to contain coronavirus in the country.
He disclosed the outbreak of a certain zoonotic disease in Koinadugu and Port Loko districts, which State House has instructed the ministry to investigate and address, because that’s their job. He said the African Swine Fever outbreak in Port Loko has the tendency to be transmitted to other animals; the outbreak in Koinadugu district can similarly be transmitted to people, and containing them has been the ministry’s responsibility. He said if they don’t succeed, it will come back to their partners.
Minister Vandy pleaded with the retreaters to work, bring ideas and achieve their set goals based on their mutual understanding and respect they have for one and other. The three day retreat, 1-3 October, is expected to look into issues including the ministry’s re-structuring at national level, hospital administration reform at tertiary and secondary levels, and strengthening the primary healthcare delivery system.
Partners at the retreat pledged their continual support to government through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation especially in strengthening the institutional capacity and internal institutional management and review of the ministry.
By Mohamed Kabba