The Free Health Care is seriously in fiasco in the Eastern City of Kenema. Kenema District is one of the biggest districts in Sierra Leone and arguably has enviable number of educated people than the biggest region in the country which is the Northern Region. But yet, human activities there to development aspirations of government vis-à-vis health, are much worse than other districts that accounts for the least number of educated inhabitant. Early this month in the Kenema Government Hospital, a two year old boy by the name of Kemoh Samuka allegedly died simply because his parents could not afford battery, candle, matches, canola, injection niddle and blood bag demanded for by the lab technicians, Elizabeth J. Foday and Lahai Samia. According to the Aunt of the late Kemoh Samuka, Adama Samuka, the two years old boy was brought to the hospital from a village called Lohuma, in the Lower Bambara Chiefdom, 34 miles off Kenema town for medical attention. Upon arrival at the Kenema Government Hospital, the nurses took the boy to the pediatric ward where they discovered that they need to transfuse blood on the boy. Unfortunately, there was not a single pint of blood in the hospital blood bank for which the laboratory attendants requested a pint of blood from Adama Samuka but should provide the items listed above before that could have been done. The Aunt of the late 2 years Kemoh Samuka asked the laboratory attendants to know whether the two years old boy was not covered by the Free Health Care Service. One of the lab technicians by the name of Elizabeth J. Foday allegedly responded by saying if the parents of the late boy failed to provide the items they requested for, they will seat and allow the boy to die and that His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma instead of introducing Free Health Care, he introduced Free Health Die. This decision according to Adama Samuka was not reversed by Elizabeth and incidentally, few hours later, the boy passed off. This press made a visit to Kenema City to source the side of the health officials mentioned in the allegation. Upon arrival in the hospital, this press made its first stop to the medical superintendent, Dr. Sesay who was met packing to leave the office on transfer to Freetown. Dr. Sesay took us to the Hospital Secretary and the Hospital Secretary handed us over to the Deputy Matron, Finda Josephine Sellu by then the Senior Matron, Isatu Kamara was out of Kenema. In the meeting we had with the Deputy Matron, Miss Sellu who was very receptive and supportive to our investigation invited all the heads of departments concerned and in their presence she highlighted all the issues they as management have been advising their personnel deviate from then later gave us opportunity to raise the allegations we took as highlighted above. Responding to the allegations, the Eastern Region Blood Coordinator employed by Global Fund, one Mr. Kabba took responsibility for what happened and apologized on behalf of his team especially Elizabeth J. Foday and Lahai Samia and promised that what they did that claimed the life of two years old Kemoh Samuka will never repeat itself anymore. Elizabeth and Lahai explained that they requested for battery for the equipment they are using to source blood from patients, the candle to light the laboratory because it was dark and there was no light at the time, for the blood bag according the Elizabeth and Lahai, was because they ran out of bag and the other items that was why they requested the parents to provide them. They apologized and promised never to repeat such inhuman practice anymore. The Chairman of the Health Committee in the Kenema City Council also expressed his frustration over the attitude of the health workers and blamed the Hospital Secretary whom he said have spent well over 12 years in the hospital for which he has become so destructive and compromising in the administrative work of the hospital. He further expressed his dissatisfaction over the attitude of the Chief Administrator of the Kenema District Council, Mr. Buane for his many protocols in responding to financial issues of the hospital. According to other sources close to the council, the delay of the Chief Administrator of the City Council to release funds for the running of the hospital was as a result of the 15% kick back the hospital always delay to pay to him. This has been resulting to too much loss of lives in the hospital because of personal interest.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:04:14 +0000
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