By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay
FREETOWN, March 11, (232News) – The Kroo Bay Health Center is the only health clinic in the community which serves over ten thousand people.
According to the Community Health Officer at the Kroo Bay Health Center David Nyuma Vanny, the clinic is operated as a normal health clinic where anyone who is sick can seek treatment as well as the treatment of sick children, pregnant and lactating mothers.
David Nyuma Vanny highlighted water, poor road network and security as some of the challenges faced by the center. He said the facility has gone for six months now with no water facility.
This he said came after the entire Kroo Bay Community was disconnected due to water wastage along the Connaught Nursing School.
He said after several consultations and meetings, the community was later reconnected but they have not been able to receive water because the facility has to pay a debt of seven hundred thousand Leones to the Guma Valley Water Company.
He explained that on a daily basis in other for them to have water in the facility they have to contribute from their own resources to purchase water at one thousand Leones per gallon.
He noted that this is a big challenge as they are constraint to the point that when pregnant women are to be delivered they are asked to bring along four gallons of water which is used for cleaning and washing after delivery.
David Nyuma Vanny said even though they have channeled their complaints to rightful authorities they have only received mere promises as they are yet to receive water supply at the Kroo Bay Health Center.
He therefore called on the government through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to help the facility in paying the debt owed to the Guma Valley Water Company.
“Our challenge now is with paying the seven hundred thousand Leones which the health center owed Guma Valley Water Company, as soon as the money is paid we will be reconnected and the facility will begin to receive water supply.”
David Nyuma Vanny also stated that another major challenge that they are faced with is poor road network as the locatioon of the clinic is not motorable. He said the distance at which vehicle can access to the clinic is a little bit far.
He said this is a challenge especially when the midwives are unable to deliver a certain pregnant woman who is in labor and they have to do referral, in such an instance someone has to carry the said person on his back or on a stretcher from the clinic to the point that is motorable.
He concluded that incinerator, needles, syringes, cleaner are all down.
