By Mohamed Massaquoi

Deputy Minister (1) of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation has disclosed that five more Peripheral Health Unis t (PHUs) have been established in the southern region of the country, adding that the facilities will help to promote the free health care services among locals.

The new facilities are located in Senehun Gola, Bargbo Chiefdom, Mendewa, Lewabu and Njabla in the Tikonko and Njagbahun in the Badia chiefdoms respectively.  

Dr. Anthony Sandi was speaking at the Bo District Council Hall during a one day consultative workshop on Decentralizing ownership of Sierra Leone’s Medium Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) for effective implementation, organized by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development.

He said 31 new refrigerators for vaccine storage have been distributed among the PHUs to ensure that the vaccines are safe. Only recently, the free healthcare drugs were distributed by the ministry in collaboration with the National Medical Supply Agency, (NMSA) and civil society and members of the public were encouraged to monitor the administration of those items.

“All the 138 PHUs in Bo district have received assorted items such as delivery beds and kits, BP machines etc.

We have also provided 43 new motorbikes donated by GAVI and the World Bank   for EPI and surveillance activities,” he said adding that the mortuary in Bo has been fully renovated with six (6) ambulances fully operational.

“We have given pin-codes to 164 health workers in Bo district, we have also given them  uniforms and other facilities.

Additionally, we have given health workers allowances which includes, the on-call, Biohazard and location allowances. These are strategies to make our health workers more efficient and effective in carrying out their responsibilities, we are confident that we will collectively improve our healthcare services,” he concluded.