Govt. To Rebrand Connaught Hospital …Health Minister

By Mohamed Massaquoi

Minister of health and sanitation making statement

Minister of Health and Sanitation, Prof. Alpha Tejan Wurie has disclosed that government has refocused more on one of the oldest hospitals in the West Africa Sub-Region, the Connaught hospital  for effective and efficient service delivery thus damned social media claimed  that the hospital lacks it credentials.

The hospital provides medical and surgical services; treatment for HIV/AIDS, TB and Leprosy; ophthalmology, physiotherapy, oral health and an outpatient department for emergency care.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation’s (MOHS) Health Sector Recovery Plan for 2015-2020 placed significant focus on improving Connaught Hospital with the aim of making it a key component in a new national teaching hospital complex. To accomplish this, Connaught has attainedthe standard required for accreditation for postgraduate training, and to firmly establish the hospital as a hub of quality care, setting standards nationally.

Only recently, Prof. Wurie was at Connaught to hand over additional truck load of assorted supplies of medical commodities including Oxygen Concentrators, Beds, Uniforms and other consumables to the Connaught Teaching Hospital Complex on Thursday September 10, 2020 at the hospital grounds in Freetown.

” I feel very happy, I want  them to  know that President Julius Maada Bio initially described the year 2020 as he year for deliverable and so our commencement is to  rehabilitate  facilities within Connaught hospital, and that work is currently ongoing at the Duty House.

Also by October this year, we will  rehabilitate  the Annex Unit and the costing will involve three to four other facilities in this  hospital,” he said  added that the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is  to be re-classified to a standard unit.

 The Minister urged health practitioners to handle the hospital well and informed them that they are developing a policy for doctors on contract to fully come onboard and provide services to the people.\

The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Thomas Samba also  reiterated that the donation is to motivate healthcare workers in service delivery to their patients.

He noted that they do associate with problems and challenges they are facing, and the Ministry will work with them to ensure that these challenges and problems are resolved, and urged them to work together on changing the narratives.

The Managing Director, National Medical Supplies Agency (NMSA), Dr. Lawrence Sandi said their vision remains in the pandemic to protect the frontline workers who are the nurses, doctors, pharmacists and all auxiliary staff.