By; Alieu Amara Suwu
The outspoken Honourable Member of Parliament representing the people of Kailahun District, Hon. Margaret Johnson, during the debate of the 2024 Budget in the Chamber of Parliament commended and appreciated the work of President Bio in transforming the development of the State.
Making her submission, she thanked the Minister of Finance for the comprehensive report on the budget and went on to highlight some achievements of the President in the area of health. She commended the establishment of a second medical school in the southern city of Bo and noted that negation is well on the way for a third one in Makeni.
On health, she said the Government has made it possible to ensure young women get the HPV vaccine to prevent them from Human Papilloma virus which is one of the largest killers of women’s cervical cancer.
“The Government and one of the health partners are constructing an ultramodern maternity of excellence hospital with a 500-bed hospital in Koindu, adding that the Government together with JICA are constructing another modern maternity pediatric hospital one of its kind at Lumely.
“Our First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr Fatima Maada Bio has constructed a 600 bed at the 34 military hospital, this includes a Center of Excellence for rape victims which can take up to 150 victims at a time, over 200 bedded ward for pediatrics, over 200 bedded wards for males and over 200 bedded wards for female,” she said.
The MP also said the Government also intends to construct a school of nursing that will hold 200 student nurses at an intake, there is also an administrative building that would be for up to 75 staff including a conference hall for up to 200 people at a time.
The MP said there is also construction that has started for a medical university catering for up to 3,500 students, to support and improve the nation’s health service. “I would like to thank Her Excellency the First Lady for this great work”, she acknowledged.
The well-informed MP mentioned the positive work of the mobile clinic treatment of thousands of people in Sierra Leone.
“This nation in the history of mental health improvements, has the first time launched the crisis line for mental health,” she said.
The MP however expressed her concerns about her chiefdom road -from PejeBongre and Penguia- whichwere not mentioned in the budget. Also, she said the Penguia hospital is not mentioned in the allocation of construction of new hospitals. She pleaded to the President Bio and the Minister of Finance to consider that area.
The MP recommended for accident and emergency Hubs on the highway to reduce and minimize fatal deaths, and went on to give statistical data on road accidents from 2021 to date.
She also recommended that the health facilities in Parliament needs to be improved to meet health standards and went on to call on Parliament for more budget to be allocated to the Ministry of Health to do their work effectively.
She concluded by pleading for more sexual health education to be carried in schools to reduce teenage pregnancy.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Wednesday, November 29th, 2023 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)