By Josephine W. Lagawo
The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio has said that he his government has recruited 5,000 health workers and 600 doctors to strengthen the health sector.
He made this statement in the annul State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday 6th August 2024.
The President pointed out that Mercy Ship has provided free surgery to 5,000 Sierra Leonean, noting that they are providing training on new procedures, displaying new technologies to support disease detection, diagnosis and patient management and ensuring the delivery of essential medicines and supplies to reach the last mile user which have enhanced the national health system.
He went on to say that the private cost recovery pilot scheme and mobile medical services through hospitals on wheels have further reduced health costs for patients.
He further stated that healthcare infrastructure investments have increased significantly through collaboration with partners including JICA, Partners In Health (PIH) and United Arab Emirates’ government.
According to him, agriculture and food security are the cornerstones of a nation’s stability and prosperity and that they transcend mere sustenance and form a crucial pillar of national resilience, economic growth and social well-being.
That without the ability to feed the people, they risk sitting atop a volatile precipice poised for unrest and turmoil.
He mentioned that the adage ‘’a hungry Man is an angry man holds profound truth, highlighting the direct link between food scarcity and national security.
He informed members of parliament that in his address to last year he emphasis that prioritizing investments in agriculture can mitigate food price, enhance resilience to external shocks, and advance their journey towards food security, adding that increasing investment in the agriculture sector has the power to create jobs, reduce dependency on essential food imports, boost export earnings from cash crops and catalyse sustainable economic growth which is a safeguard for national security and a vision for a prosperous future.
He stated that as he prioritise ‘’Feed Salone’’ in the new medium term national development plan their vision for a robust food production system is private sector led transforming every aspect of our agricultural value chains.
He said that his government has focused on addressing key constraints such as finance, soil fertility, water management, mechanization, quality seed input, infrastructure and the deployment of technology and research to boost agricultural productivity.
