I am a member of the Hospital Board and also a signatory to drug supply deliveries in the district. The health sector in Port Loko is doing fairly well, considering the fact that most infrastructures associated with health care delivery were destroyed during the war.

Joseph Bob Amara, Chairman, Port Loko District Council

Apart from rehabilitation work by Government and other stakeholders to health care delivery structures, there is also reasonable drug supply.

The health sector in Port Loko is working well with the District Council, within the spirit of the current decentralization exercise of the health sector. It has long presented its Work Programme and Budget for 2006 to us for review and funding, but unfortunately, Government is yet to disburse the funds to us.

I believe there is a need for local councils to be empowered to be more and more involved in decision-making processes at national levels that relate to the health sector. We must be given full access to all opportunities, privileges and facilities that have to do with the health sector without any hesitation.

There is also a need for an increase in drug supplies, delivered in a timely fashion based on specific schedules rather than the irregular and haphazard manner in which it is currently done.

Let me also take this opportunity to share with you a problem which I speculate the cost-recovery system will encounter in the future. As you may be aware, drug and medical services are provided free to vulnerable members of our societies including children and the aged. But apart from vulnerability, our people are poor; so only a few of them can afford to meet with the cost-recovery arrangement.  Because of this, most resort to “pepe doktas” (fake doctors). And you and I know that apart from being untrained, these so called doctors trade expired, fake or contraband drugs which are completely against our national duties and responsibilities to provide good medical services.

There is also the need for more specialist doctors to be sent to the district and the provision of specialist drugs especially those that go along with surgical operations.

Let me conclude by stating that the Port Loko District Council in particular is ready to work with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. So they should feel free to devolve the functions that are to be devolved to us.