The deterioration of the nation’s health sector has become increasingly apparent, particularly under the current administration. Despite claims of significant investment, there has been little to show in terms of substantial progress.
Recently, the Opposition Chief Whip, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, appeared on Liberty Online TV to shed light on the grave challenges plaguing the health sector, challenges that have affected the nation as a whole.
His remarks prompted a response from the Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, who dismissed the Opposition Chief Whip’s allegations as unfounded. However, the two appeared together on Liberty Online TV on the 11th February 2025, to discuss the issue further.
Opposition Chief Whip referenced audit reports from 2021, 2022, and 2023 to highlight the mismanagement of the health sector. He began by discussing the state of the sector, which he described as one of the most poorly managed institutions in the country. The 2023 Audit Report, in particular, emphasized severe mismanagement of national resources within the health sector.
The Opposition Chief Whip pointed to several hospitals, including Connaught and Bo Government Hospitals, as suffering from a lack of essential medical equipment. These facilities are critically under-resourced, with shortages in basic tools such as BP machines, oxygen concentrators, ambulances, gloves, aprons, thermometers, weighing scales, water heaters, and suction machines, all vital for providing adequate healthcare.
He also highlighted the deteriorating conditions at Connaught Hospital’s Blood Bank and Mortuary Departments. The Blood Bank, for example, only has one refrigerator purchased over a decade ago. If it breaks down, there is no backup, endangering the entire blood storage system.
At Jui Government Hospital, patients’ caretakers are often forced to fetch water due to an ongoing water crisis, a situation attributed to the minister’s failure to ensure an environment conducive to effective healthcare delivery.
Magburaka Government Hospital, he noted, is critically under-resourced, lacking both medical equipment and qualified personnel. Many community health officers have volunteered for over a decade without proper recognition or benefits. The hospital has just 17 doctors, with only a few officially approved.
Although the Minister claimed they have recruited thousands of medical practitioners, the Opposition Chief Whip countered that many health facilities are still severely short-staffed.
Opposition Chief Whip also mentioned the misuse of government vehicles allocated to the ministry, as justified by the Audit Reports, which the Minister attempted to downplay, but failed to provide sufficient counterarguments.
The Opposition Chief Whip also pointed to challenges in the Tonkollili District Medical Team, which has hindered effective healthcare delivery.
At Malone MCHP, he revealed that the facility lacks essential resources, including an incinerator, refrigerator, and a functioning water system. The observation bed is in poor condition, and several areas, including the labor room, have leakages. The facility is also short on furniture and staff.
Similarly, Makali CHC has been facing difficulties, with a faulty solar system, inadequate beds, and no fans or air conditioning in the drug store.
At Mamunta MCHP, Opposition Chief Whip noted that the nurse-in-charge, a 59-year-old woman, is the only paid nurse, assisted by a non-credentialed nurse. The facility also lacks a standing scale, has a faulty beam scale, and suffers from an inoperative water system.
The situation at Massingbi CHC was equally dire, with no running water due to faulty plumbing and nine beds without mattresses.
Opposition Chief Whip drew attention to the dire conditions at Makeni Regional Hospital, which lacks toilet facilities, thermometers, gloves, weighing scales, and an inadequate water supply. Patients often have to leave the hospital to buy prescribed medications due to a shortage of drugs.
At Bo Government Hospital, Opposition Chief Whip noted that the mortuary’s freezers are malfunctioning. The largest freezer, capable of holding nine corpses, has broken down, leaving the mortuary reliant on two smaller freezers, which can only accommodate twelve corpses combined.
In Kenema Government Hospital, he criticized the absence of specialist doctors such as orthopedic surgeons, pediatricians, and gynecologists. The hospital also struggles with unreliable electricity and lacks both ambulances and utility vehicles.
The Kenema District Health Medical Team also faces significant challenges, with several PHUs lacking essential medical supplies and equipment. He highlighted the mismanagement of assets, noting that 64 out of 72 new motorbikes donated to the team are missing, with no explanation or accountability.
The Opposition Chief Whip expressed frustration over the Minister’s attempt to downplay the severity of these issues, despite overwhelming evidence of the health sector’s failings.
In conclusion, the Opposition Chief Whip stated that due to the poor state of the health sector, when the minister fell ill, he chose to seek medical care at a private hospital instead of a government facility, leaving the masses to suffer under the ineffective system.
With all this evidence in hand, it is clear that the Ministry of Health has failed the nation. He therefore called on the President to terminate the Minister’s contract, as his continued tenure is no longer justifiable.