China - Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital Jui to launch the Friendship is Good
Project
By Jonathan Abass Kamara & Kadrie Koroma
The Medical Superintendent of the China-Sierra Leone Friendship hospital at Jui in the outskirt
of Freetown has disclosed plans to launch a new humanitarian programme known as the
Friendship is Good project.
The Medical Superintendent, Dr. Alex Kanu’s initiative he said would help address the brain
drain in the medical profession and ease the problem of overseas travelling for medical
treatment, and promote maternal and child health.
The project which he described as the “3-win project for the government of Sierra Leone and
the Health Ministry in partnership with their Chinese counterpart would focus on three key
areas: The first win for the patient, the second win for the hospital and the third win, transfer of
technology from their specialists to local medical officers. These three wins Dr. Kanu said is
making impact, and lauded the Health Minister and the Chief Medical Officer for their
continued support towards achieving the desired goal of sustainable resilient health system
within their operations.
Under the mission of the proposed ‘Friendship is Good project’, three major surgical operations
have been carried on three vulnerable women suffering from Fibroid and Goiters successfully in
the hospital free of cost from the hospital proceeds with support from the Government. Such
major surgical operation, according to one of the patients I interviewed, would have cost her
not less than Le10 million, not talking about referral for overseas treatment which the Sierra
Leone-China Friendship hospital and the government is trying to cut down with the available
human resource specialists on the ground.
In a related development, the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People’s
Republic of China and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) for a Chinese Ophthalmologist Team to carry out Cataract Surgery in
Sierra Leone and support the Maternal and Child Health programme of the Ministry.
Signing on behalf of the Chinese Government at the Ministry’s conference hall in Freetown, the
Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Zhao Yanbo said China has established bilateral
relationship with Sierra Leone since 1971 noting that from 1973 the Chinese Government
continues to fulfill its pledge in providing medical assistance and personnel for Sierra Leone,
adding that the team will also provide support to the Ministry’s Maternal and Child Health
programme.
Ambassador Zhao Yanbo disclosed that China has implemented the Cataract project in four
countries and that Sierra Leone is the fifth country to benefit from the free Cataract operations.
Signing on behalf of the government and people of Sierra Leone, Health and Sanitation
Minister, Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah expressed thanks and appreciation to the People’s Republic of
China for their support to Sierra Leone, especially in the area of health delivery service.
Dr. Fofanah disclosed that besides the two projects for which a Memo has been signed, the
Chinses Ambassador has also announced two big projects: Construction of the Tropical Disease
Research Institute at Jui and the new Ministry of Health building.