By Elkass Sannoh
My phone was inundated with Facebook messages today after the reported death of Aminata Gallia, a pupil of the Emmanuelle primary school in Kenema.
Patiently going through the heartbroken condolence messages, I traced the author, Leslie Gallia popularly known as Podolski and my heart bled into an avalanche of pieces when he wrote, “My hands are troubling right now. I just got a hurting call from my daughter’s Aunty yesterday at around 2pm that my daughter was rushed into the Government hospital in Kenema. She had to say to me my daughter falls down from a two story building where she attended school in Kenema Emmanuelle primary school. I immediately went into a vehicle to Kenema. I arrived at1am this morning into the hospital my daughter condition was so bad they were not doctors in charge two junior staff were in attendance they can’t handle anything. I told them that I want to take my daughter to Freetown for proper medical care they didn’t agree to me I said to them give me the doctors number they did, I called all of them for over an hour nobody answered until I was lucky one of them answered off late.”
Many people are dying in my country for the wrong reason especially the reckless attitudes of majority of our nurses and some Medical Doctors. We are quick to attribute death to the Will of God. That mentality is so suffocating that it has retrogressed our ambition by resigning ourselves to unmitigated madness.
AS SIERRA LEONEANS, ARE WE SAYING THAT WE ARE CHILDREN OF A LESSER gOD?
Even though we are financially incapacitated due to a lot of compelling reasons, the reckless and ill-cultured behaviour of our medical practitioners has contributed to the appalling state of our health sector with no shimmer of light for the future.
This is no politics! Like the country’s First Lady, Dr. Fatima Bio, bitterly hit hard at the Sierra Leone Road Authority for the poor Makeni road, we must be honest and sincere to face the problem head-on with a corresponding solution including demanding the sacking of the Health Minister if he refuses to wake up from his slumber.
In our DNA, our negative attitude to embracing development is causing an enervating ache into my nerves that we should be honest and sincere to speak out. Poor healthcare is also an attitudinal problem. We must instill discipline to build up our health sector.
Truth be told, Sierra Leone’s health sector has undergone rapid surgical reforms, but those reforms are not yielding quality fruits because the Minister and his team are not monitoring the Health Sector. Do you want our President to do your work?
Trust that if we send the current Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh on a year loan at the Ministry of Health it will be another admirable story to tell.
In Sierra Leone, some people are not destined to create a change! I was expecting the Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, to immediately summon the entire leadership of the Kenema Government Hospital to investigate and take a disciplinary action. Is this another story by 2 Face?
I put pen to paper because I am a victim. At the same Kenema Government hospital and Kingharma Road Satellite hospital. At the Kingharma road hospital I drove off to the Choithram because there was no Medical Doctor and the CHO was overwhelmed while the nurses were busy watching Nigerian movie. At the Kenema Government hospital there was no Medical Doctor to treat my son throughout the day. I had to call my Doctor in Freetown to direct the nurses. I had to give them special package because I refused to introduce myself and my position. The next day I introduced myself and the Sister in Charge said, “U for Don Introduce U Sef.”
I had to buy gloves and drugs from the nurses. I refused to buy outside because I wanted to understand the modus operandi of the nurses.
Your Excellency, kindly pay attention to the health sector. Your people are dying for the wrong reason.
The father of Aminata Gallia concluded that, “You always promised me to be in 1st position till you completed your primary education and continue your secondary education today you’re no longer here take your rest Amizo I love you baby prosperity will judge anyone involved Are don lef me yon case gee Allah .” Is this how Sierra Leone should be ad infinitum? Rest well Amizo.
DISCLAIMER
Views expressed are mine and not connected to my office or current position.
