27th April - Launch of Free Health Care

27th April, an ordinary day in the UK but an extraordinary day here - Independence Day and Launch of Free Health Care for pregnant and breastfeeding women and kids under 5.

This blog covers my trip to Kambia 21st/22nd April and Launch Day. I've not blogged for 2 weeks mainly due to how busy its been and lack of electricity in Freetown!

Two weeks ago I was in Kambia district visiting the hospital and clinics. It’s hard to know how to write what I saw and felt. The hospital was generally in a poor state although some wards were much better than others but the real shock was seeing the malnourished children like the 2 year old girl who looked the size of a 6 month old baby. Malnourishment is apparently easy to treat but a whole ward of kids (ward being a dark hut with a dirt floor and beds in bad condition with old, often ripped mattresses) was a lot to take in. You read the reports and take a sharp intake of breath at the public health statistics, but seeing the reality for women and children in a country with one of the worst maternal and infant death rates in the world… well its quite another matter. The conditions within which people are cared for and staff worked are frankly awful in many places in comparison.

My role was to document the 'state of readiness' of the hospital and clinics as part of the team. The Children’s and Maternity hospitals here in Freetown which I visited on Independence Day were much better (although getting drugs supplies has been problematic).The primary health clinics I’ve seen here and up country are also very variable. The photos here are of the hospital price list, some school kids on the hospitals grounds and outside one of th ePHUs we visited (my boss is the one in the cap!)

On 27th April the launch event took place at the Princes Christian Maternity Hospital (next to the Kids hospital, called Ola During) in Freetown, with the President, Vice president and Chief Medical Officer speaking amongst others. It was mad busy and there were hundreds of pregnant women there for a start as well as a huge queue of mums with small children outside Ola During waiting for treatment. It was so busy that one of the doctors, Fiona (my VSO house mate) was triaging in the middle of the chaotic queue for what seemed like hundreds of people.

At the launch ceremony, I was rostered to help and was in charge of entertainment management…. So if anyone wants me to herd singers, dancers and comedy players into being in the right place at the right time and with a PA system arriving 2 hours late…. Then I’m your woman!! . So… it was with a lump in the throat for many people that free health care was launched last Tuesday as it is so badly needed here. Now you could say that the hard work really starts, with lots of logistical problems still to overcome (some plans are in place) like the availability of running water and electric, blood supplies, improving trained staff numbers, facilities renovation, equipment, drugs and consumables and overcrowded wards: solutions are still needed across the country in the 13 Districts.

Despite all these problems however, this was a massive step forward for Ernest Koroma’s Government in raising awareness of the right to free health care for the most vulnerable in society. In the coming months I hope to contribute is some small way to make this a sustainable reality. See these links on the BBC and Guardian websites for more info:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/sarah-boseley-global-health/2010/apr/28/maternal-mortality-infant-mortality

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8645968.stm