United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has on few days ago handed over $10 million worth of medical supplies and equipment procured with Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) funds on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone to contribute to strengthening Sierra Leone’s emergency response to COVID-19, while also supporting the strengthening of the health system across the country. According to the UNICEF Country Representative, Dr. Suleiman Braimoh the consignment is the second set of supplies from IsDB since 2021, and its includes pharmaceuticals, 10 mobile digital x-ray machines, 10 ultrasound scanners, 70 wheelchairs, oxygen therapy and other medical devices hospital beds and furniture, 7 steam sterilizer, PPE and 6 generators sets.
Speaking during the handing over ceremony at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) conference hall, the UNICEF Country Representative informed that the support was from the IsDB that came through a project entitled, “Strengthening COVID-19 Response and Essential Health Services in Sierra Leone. He explained that the project was earmarked to help prevent, detect and respond to the posed by COVID-19 and strengthen essential health services in Sierra Leone, adding that the project is not only to support emergency response but also health system strengthening.
“Globally, COVID-19 has disrupted delivery of essential services and continues to claim lives and disrupt livelihoods. Socio-economic impact of recent price surge affecting fuel and other essential commodities due to the Russia-Ukraine War has added further hardships to people, particularly the most vulnerable around the globe, including Sierra Leone“he said.
Receiving the medical supplies and equipment, the Acting Minister of Health and Sanitation, Princess Dugba thanked UNICEF for their support towards the Ministry, adding that UNICEF has immensely supported the Ministry’s dreams in so many areas, especially when the ministry is in dying- need. She informed that the project, “Strengthening COVID-19 Response and Essential Health Services” was developed by the Government of Sierra Leone through the MoHS at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak with the goal to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19.
“The funding for the project in the form of a loan financing to the tune of $10 Million was received from the Islamic Development Bank. Specifically, the project targeted 10 beneficiary districts across the country. Three secondary hospitals in the Northern Region (Magburaka, Kabala and Makeni). One secondary hospital in the North-Eastern Region (Port Loko). Three secondary hospitals in the Southern Region (Bonthe Municipal, Bo and Moyamba) and three secondary hospitals in the Eastern Region (Kono, Panguma, and Kenema)” she stated.
Sam M. Aruna, Deputy Financial Secretary, Ministry of Finance said when the country had COVID-19 outbreak, as a ministry that is responsible for the mobilization of resources for government to undertake its development plans, they approached their donor partners and in response, the IsDB swiftly responded to the call of government by offering resources of $25 Million in a form of a loan, disclosing that $10 Million out of the $25 Million in response of the health components and another $10 Million was assigned to another components and $5 Million to another components.
He said that because the health components were in an emergency at that time, the $10 Million was quickly processed and the Government signed an agreement with the IsDB which was ratified by Parliament. He intimated that under the health response they have components in terms of equipment and the MoHS as an executing agency went into contract with some suppliers and reputable contractors nationwide and he said one of them happened to be UNICEF, “and today we are here to witness the handing over of the equipment under this components” he said.
By Mohamed Amara Gando
