Dr Joseph N. Kandeh, District Medical Officer, Kambia

I am the District Medical Officer, serving as Chairman of both the Hospital Management Committee and the District Health Management Team (DHMT). I am also a member of the Kambia Hospital Board. I have served Kambia since November 2005 and the health sector for about 12 years, beginning as House Officer.

Dr Joseph N. Kandeh, District Medical Officer, Kambia

The ten-year rebel war severely affected Kambia district as a whole and the health sector was not spared. The main Government Hospital was left in ruin, while almost all peripheral health units were completely vandalized. However, conditions are improving; a series of rehabilitation work has been implemented and the health sector is gradually regaining its status. Presently, we have 40 functioning PHUs all operating at community level.

In addition, we now have a general store for non-medical items and decent staff quarters. Moreover, a maternity ward with theatre attached to it is under construction within the hospital campus. We are also proud of the very good relationship and support we continue to enjoy from MSF Holland who run our Paediatric and Maternity Wards, among others.

Meanwhile, our peripheral units also continue to receive support from the Kambia Hospital Appeal, an initiative based in Cheltenham, with links to the district. Three out of these, the Madina Community Health Centre at Tonko Limba Chiefdom, the Kasiri Community Health Centre in Samu Chiefdom and the Ahmadiyya Clinic were set up by the Wesleyan, Baptist and Ahmadiyya missions respectively. The Ahmadists continue to run theirs, while the other two are now being run by Government through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.  In addition, the Red Cross also runs a clinic at Kambia II.