Should the government be held liable for the death of a baby at PCMH, and the millions lost because of power outage?

A short commentary by Sulaiman Stom Koroma.

In Freetown, the persistent power outage spanning two weeks has plunged the city into darkness. Tragically, on Monday, 22nd April 2024, at the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH), popularly known as Cottage a baby died immediately after surgery due to the lack of electricity.

In his 2018 manifesto (page 75) President Julius Maada Bio said “Improving supply of Energy is an imperative for any meaningful development and poverty reduction. Development of the energy sector permits the development of various energy based industries and the enhancement of the human capacity through improved educational facilities, better health services, improved industrialisation and communications facilities. In short, growth and industrialization are impossible today without sustainable and efficient energy”.

Sadly, over the last ten days, offices have overrun their budgets, businesses have lost millions and homes dragged into poverty and excess budgets, exacerbating the strain on residents already grappling with the outage. As students gear up for upcoming external exams, the absence of electricity poses a significant barrier to their academic success. Meanwhile, Calls are mounting for the government to urgently address the prolonged power crisis and restore electricity to the city. The dire consequences of the outage continue to unfold, underscoring the pressing need for swift and effective action to prevent further loss and hardship in Freetown.