The University of Sierra Leone Teaching Hospital Complex (USLTHC) celebrates six years of existence today March 21, 2022, having achieved a number of successes, despite challenges.
This was revealed to Premier News in an exclusive interview with the Chairperson of the Board of Administration of USLTHC, Dr. Sonia Spencer, on Thursday March 17, 2022, in her office on Percival Street.
The USLTHC, which is the first teaching hospital in Sierra Leone, was set up by an Act of Parliament and comprises tertiary referral and affiliated hospitals to provide international standard training of young doctors to become specialists and consultants, good quality healthcare services to the public and undertake medical research. It came into existence after the Ebola Epidemic which saw the deaths of many health workers and depleted the number in the country.
During the six years of its existence, USLTHC has been training a number of specialists in various medical fields and is currently undertaking a number of developmental activities.
Dr. Spencer pointed out that the Management of Connaught Hospital, which is the main tertiary referral hospital in the complex, with support from individuals, organizations and the Government of Sierra Leone is currently undertaking rehabilitation of different wards, renovation of the specialist and out-patients departments and has constructed ramps to provide easy access for physically challenged persons.
The Government of Sierra Leone has also provided funds for the rehabilitation of various hospitals, and the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) will soon commence the construction of a new Paediatric hospital next to the Lumley hospital.
Dr. Spencer also pointed out that the government provided funds that have enabled the USLTHC to hire a number of professors and consultants in a variety of fields, as well as a new Deputy Chief Medical Director. This, she said has increased the capacity of USLTHC to provide training for Sierra Leonean doctors that will enable them to take the exams of the West African Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons to become specialists and consultants comparable to other parts of the world.
The new Deputy Chief Medical Director who is currently Acting Chief Medical Director and Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of USLTHC, Professor Kehinde Oluwadiya, said that the institution plans to publish a Medical Journal of Sierra Leone which will carry up to date information that will aid the medical profession in Sierra Leone and other parts of the world.
Professor Oluwadiya stressed that the institution intends to become a pivot for increasing research with findings being published in the journal that will grab the attention of the public in the years to come.
“As part of our transformation drive, we are going to set up a modern website that would be user friendly. We have also set up an ethics committee to deal with issues of vulnerability, justice, equity and the under privileged,” Professor Oluwadiya said.
Despite these achievements, the USLTHC board Chair believes that a lot more can be achieved if the board achieves autonomy and gets increased funding from government that will enable it expand its current departments, establish new ones and procure needed equipment to provide training in other medical fields, such are neuro-surgery, cardiothoracic-surgery, oncology and urology.
Dr. Spencer added that if the administration is given the required autonomy and financial support, it will be able to fulfil its mandate of providing effective service delivery, research and training that will make Sierra Leone the envy of some countries in West Africa.
By George M.O. Williams