Freetown Sierra Leone, Friday 14th June.
New hope for the children of Sierra Leone as President Julius Maada Bio commissions a state-of-the-art National Children’s Referral Hospital at Lumley in Freetown. The ultra-modern facility is available for pediatric surgeries and pediatric emergencies.
The new state-of-the-art National Children’s Referral Hospital at Lumley in Freetown. This new center of excellence is probably the first of its kind in the Africa sub region.
This massive hospital, which is probably the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa, is funded by the Japanese Government to the tune of $USD25M. In total, the facility has 142 beds for children and 46 beds for mothers of admitted newborns.
Equipped with the latest medical supplies found anywhere in the world, the hospital is poised to totally transform the healthcare experiences of mothers and their babies as it will be a place where children of all ages receive different kinds of medical care including specialized and acute conditions.
President Bio, whose vision is to transform the health sector and ensure that all Sierra Leoneans get equal access to medical care, was understandably eager to commission the facility.
Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, addressing a gathering at the commissioning event of the new Lumley Pediatric Center of Excellence in Freetown.
“What is a human without good health,” the President asked. He went on; “this facility is the legacy I want to leave behind,” he said.
At the heart of the President’s Big Five Agenda is peoples’ centered service delivery, one that is anchored in deliberate and intentional actions.
But this cannot be achieved without a healthy population, particularly a healthy young population. That is why President Bio is placing emphasis on child health as the foundation for a healthy and productive population.
“That is why the new Lumley Pediatric Center of Excellence symbolizes hope and progress for the nation. It will ensure that every child’s health is catered for in a sustained manner,” the President points out.
For the Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, the unveiling of this new medical complex is a dream come through.
Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, speaks of his excitement and hope for the new Pediatric Center of Excellence at Lumley, which was funded by the Japanese Government.
“We were given a task by the president to collaborate with partners and build this hospital. I am elated that today, this task has been accomplished. No doubt that this facility will significantly impact the health of mothers and their babies.”
Among the services the new hospital will provide include outpatient, pediatric neurology, haemato-oncology, among others. All these are specialized medical services that many parents would otherwise fly their children overseas for treatment.
“No longer will families go through the financial burden of having to fly their children overseas for specialized treatment, as the new Lumley Children’s Hospital is here to stand in the gap,” Minister Demby said.
Besides the provision of medical care, the hospital will also be a center of excellence for training of both undergraduate and postgraduate medical personnel.
President Bio, left, and Dr. Austin Demby, right, cut a tape to signify the official commissioning of the new Lumley Children’s Referral Hospital.
Although Sierra Leone has made remarkable progress in maternal health, the same cannot be said of child health. Currently, under-five mortality stands at 105 deaths per 1,000 live births. It implies that the country is off track to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Target (SDT) of 25 deaths or fewer per 1,000 live births.
It is in recognition of these challenges that the Health Minister, Dr. Austin Demby, had declared child health a priority for his ministry, one that requires similar interventions to those of Ebola and Covid. Therefore, the New ultra-modern Pediatric Center of Excellence is seen as a true demonstration of political will and the government’s commitment to addressing the healthcare problems experienced by the children of this country.