By SLBC Mohamed Lamin Turay
The Chairman of the Sierra Leone People’s Party, Jimmy Batilo Songa, has commissioned a modern health facility for the people of Moriba Town, in the heart of the Rutile community.
He described the intervention of the Member of Parliament for the Southern Region, Hon. Fatmata Bintu Bockarie, as an example other Parliamentarian should emulate.
The ceremony was highly welcomed and greeted by the sounding of drums and jubilation by the people of Moriba Town, who gathered in Chinese numbers to welcome a long-awaited gift: a modern health facility.
Equipped with 24-hour solar powered electricity, with proper water and WASH facility, among others, the center was designed to serve mothers, children, and the elderly residents who, for years, endured long, difficult journeys to Mattru in search of healthcare.
But today, thanks to the intervention of Hon. Fatmata Bockarie, that struggle is easing. The opening of this facility is more than just bricks and mortar, it is a lifeline.
For Salamatu Ndanema, a mother of three, the center is nothing short of a blessing.
‘‘I used to walk for over an hour with my sick child just to reach the nearest clinic. Now, help is right here in our community. This will save lives.’’
The facility, built through the efforts of Hon. Fatmata Bockarie, with support from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is equipped to handle maternal care, child immunization, and common illnesses that previously went untreated or delayed.
It houses a maternity ward, consultation rooms, a dispensary, and a basic laboratory for rapid tests. For villagers who once risked dangerous travel on bad roads or paid high transport costs, these modest services are life-saving.
Chief Leslie Tucker Thomas, Regent Chief of Imperie Chiefdom, told the gathering the building brings hope.
SOF: CHIEF LESLIE TUCKER THOMAS- REGENT CHIEF OF IMPERIE CHIEFDOM
Community elder Chief, Alpha Massaquoi, added that the facility is more than a building, it is dignity restored.
CHIEF ALPHA MASSQUIO, COMMUNITY ELDER
As a team, we have started enjoying the work of leadership. As a community, we will maintain this facility. It is ours.
For Hon. Bockarie, the project is part of her commitment to ensuring rural communities are not left behind. She told the cheering crowd that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and that every Sierra Leonean deserves access to quality care, no matter where they live.
Chairman of the SLPP, Jimmy Batilo Songa, praised the Church for its support, and described Hon. Bockarie’s effort as selfless. He said the party and government are ready to partner with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to provide more for the people.
SOF – JIMMY BARTOLO SONGA, CHAIRMAN SLPP
The President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Chief Medical Officer from the Ministry of Health shared similar sentiments. They noted that the facility will ease the burden on overstretched hospitals in nearby towns by offering preventive care and early treatment that could reduce avoidable deaths.
They also stressed the importance of maintaining drug supplies, retaining staff, and ensuring long-term funding through ongoing partnerships with district health authorities.