In continuing with their fact finding mission, they met with the Director of the Presidential initiative on Infrastructure, Dr. John Tambi, to have a clear picture on how to synergize the Medical Centre project with the plan of a new city by the government. The team was taken by Dr. Tommy Koroma (Medical Officer attached to the Office of the First Lady) and Mr. Mohamed Cozie Kosia from First Lady’s team to visit existing government hospitals. It was a brief review of strengths and shortcomings of the system. They will come up with practical strategy on how the new Medical Centre will address these. The feasibility study will cover the Mano River Union.
President Bio made it clear that the Mano River is long overdue for a major upheaval of the medical situation and this is a welcome project, and that his government will provide its full support.
The scale of the project is huge, so the specialists suggested it should be rolled out in stages, with the Women & Children Centre recommended as the first stage. Small scale oncology centre will be added at the first phase, but will specialize in female-based cancer treatment (Breast and cervical). Other specialized areas will be added based on needs assessment.
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With sustainability at the core of planning, the project will encompass the training of medical personnel, building the hospital and equipping it to international standards. Training of medical practitioners from Sierra Leone will be top priority.
The medical centre will be scalable both medically and socially. A referral system for incoming patients will be operational in the Mano River Union. The referral system will utilize existing hospitals, and where necessary, new referral centers will be built.
The event is being organized by H. E. Sidique Abou-Bakar Wai, the charismatic, community leader, activist, politician, diplomat, and public policy czar. The Howard University Medical School is also supporting the project by making their students available for residency training as a precursor to a full scale implementation of the medical centre project. The UN event will be co-chaired by the highly experienced Dr. Fouad Sheriff and Dr. Johnson, the Dean of Howard University Medical School.
The specialist team from Moneta Health has been involved in several projects in Turkey, and also in Tanzania and Zanzibar. Prof. Tunga Demirarslan is known internationally as the problem solver of medical establishments. His expertise is in managing, transforming and adopting hospital businesses into profitable and agile organizations. He will bring his vast experience in hospital construction, technical equipment and medical training to the First Lady’s Medical Centre.
