August 8, 2018
By Binta Njie-Jatta
The medical supplies were donated at Lumley and 34 Military hospitals
As the rainy season peaks in Sierra Leone, Save the Children Sierra Leone Country Office has made a significant and timely donation of large consignment of drugs to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to the total sum of EUR 42,850.00.
Although Sierra Leone’s Ebola epidemic ended in what now seem a long time ago, Save the Children Sierra Leone maintained a robust Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacity through its preposition Emergency Health Unit in Freetown.
The donated drugs for Infection Prevention and Control were delivered at the Lumley Government hospital and the 34 military hospital this week.
Receiving the drugs at LumLey hospital on behalf of the government, Medical Superintendent Dr. David Jalloh stated that ‘the donation is timely because the hospital is desperately in need of drugs for we have run out of stock.’
Dr. Jalloh expressed gratitude on behalf of the hospital and his authorities and urged Save the Children to continue such initiatives, stating that the organization, as the name implies, saves not only children but even adults.
The Commanding Officer of 34 Military Hospital, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Stephen Sevalie, echoed similar sentiments, thus assuring Save the Children that they would make best use of the donated drugs and items.
The donation comprises Infection Prevention and Control materials, syringes and several Emergency Health kits ranging from diarrhea prevention and treatment to anti-malarial module for basic unit, kit, and an anti-malarial module for Supplementary Drugs unit.
Ramatu Jalloh, Save the Children’s Director of Communication, said collaboration with the Ministry of Health at the central, district and local levels was critical in ensuring that systems and resources are well aligned for a robust response to humanitarian crises.
She noted that Save the Children was committed to its partnership with government, disclosing that the organisation has been in Sierra Leone for over 18 years (since 1999).
Ms. Jalloh said their work includes but not limited to health, nutrition, education protection, water and sanitation, and humanitarian response across the country.
“Our commitment throughout has been to complement the national strategies and policies of the government of the day to deliver on its mandate to its children, its people and country. We have also been working to help build the capacity of our partner NGOs and senior government personnel in Emergency Preparedness and Response, including gender in humanitarian crises. Save the Children has worked with authorities at district level to identify culturally sensitive means of addressing gender needs in emergency,” she concluded.