Freetown — Minister of health and sanitation has appealed to Sierra Leonean medical practitioners in the diaspora to return home and help improve the health sector.

Dr Soccoh Kabia made this appeal in a meeting with Sierra Leonean 'stakeholders' resident in New Jersey, United States of America.

He said Sierra Leone's health sector is faced with problems of human resources. "Lots of doctors, nurses and other health care personnel had left the country because of the poor conditions of service and inadequate salaries and remunerations," he said.

He said the country has the capacity and the resources and if only its citizens are patriotic, it could be developed.

Dr. Kabia said because of the brain-drain hospitals and clinics in the country were understaffed, with some big hospitals like the Makeni government hospital having only one resident doctor.

He said the All Peoples Congress government was busy putting in place programmes that would enable them recruit doctors and nurses from the diaspora and Africa to return home and work.

He said the government's next aim was to equip hospitals and ensure that drugs and other medical supplies were available.

Dr. Kabia affirmed that structures would be put in place to ensure accountability and that drugs and medical supplies remain in the hospitals so that patients have access to them.

He revealed government's plans to upgrade tertiary hospitals like Connaught, Cottage, the Kissy Mental Home and government hospitals in the provinces. "The emergency department and the intensive care unit of Connaught Hospital would also be upgraded," he said.