Concord Times (Freetown)
Ben Samuel Turay and Bryna Hallam
28 November 2008
Pregnancy-related emergencies will soon be treated for free at the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital, the Minister of Health and Sanitation announced yesterday.
"Too many people are dying in the country," Dr. Soccoh Kabia said. "We are moving to solve some of these problems."
Kabia made the announcement as part of a policy change at PCMH, the largest maternity hospital in the country. He did not say the exact date the new policies would take effect.
Maternal mortality is very high in Sierra Leone. One in eight women dies during childbirth. He said 144 patients have died at the hospital so far this year, and that the ministry wants to improve on that.
"We have changed from the old system to a new system," Kabia said. "We need to do more to improve the health sector and this is the time we are going to start it."
The new policies include improvements to blood bank services, the regulation of private practice within the hospital, and the establishment of outpatient services. It also says that ambulances should be available for patients free of cost and doctors and nurses should not sell drugs.
The changes came after a consultation with staff at the hospital. But doctors and nurses present at the announcement were not happy about the new policies. They wanted the minister to address their conditions of service.
Dr. Francis Moses said poor conditions of service are the underlying cause of other problems with the health system in Sierra Leone. "It is very hard for me to work. I have worked for 12 months without a salary."
The minister acknowledged the problems with the conditions of service and said the ministry would soon address the issue. "We are going to work very hard to improve the health situation and to avoid child mortality," he said. "The only way we can it is to improve conditions of service."
"The ministry is working to solve their assignment by improving the health sector," said Dr. Kisito Sheku Daoh, the acting chief medical officer of the ministry. "The aim of the programme is to know the problems of PCMH, where the problems came from and how to solve them."
Besides conditions of service, Daoh said there is a lack of trained staff at the hospital. He said a lack of coordination and job descriptions might also be contributing to the problems at PCMH. Often, women do not go to the hospital right away, which can also lead to problems.
They hope the free ambulance service and free emergency treatment will encourage more women to come to the hospital for treatment.
The new policies are part of the ministry's plan to upgrade PCMH in order to reach the Millennium Development Goals.
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