As a way of enhancing government’s health care delivering system in the country, the National AIDS Secretariat (NAS) with funds from the Global Fund on 18th June 2012 handed over seven Hilux vehicles to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.

These vehicles, disclosed by the Director of NAS, Dr. Brima Kargbo, were bought with fund made available by the Global Fund, a public-private partnership that gives support to the global fight against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. He added it marked the second such donations given to the Ministry by the Global Fund through NAS. The first batch was given a month ago.

Receiving the vehicles on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Minister of Health and Sanitation, Madam Zainab Hawa Bangura expressed thanks and appreciation for what she called “wonderful gesture” by the Global Fund, noting the timeliness of the donation of the vehicles to facilitate drugs delivery to PHUs across the country.

Dr Brima Kargbo handing over keys  of vehicles to The Hon. Minister of Health & Sanitation

The Minister pointed out that a recent review of the Free Health Care service delivery the President highlighted the challenge caused in delays in the distribution of drugs from district headquarters to Peripheral Health Units (PHUs) across the country.

The Minister said she had made a commitment to the President that her Ministry will endeavour “to work towards salvaging the situation”. She therefore noted that the vehicles provided by Global Fund “will help facilitate the timely deliveries of drugs to PHUs,” and that it will ease the stocking of essential drugs that are much in need by the health units.

“These vehicles could not have come at any time better than now, when some parts of the country are being hard hit by a cholera outbreak,” the Minister noted, and disclosed that the beneficiaries of the vehicles will be the Government Hospitals in Port Loko, Pujehun, Moyamba, Bonthe, Magburaka, Makeni and the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH).

Minister Bangura assured that the vehicles will be used for their intended purpose and warned against their use for any other purpose other than official. She also warned as she put it,“I am aware of government vehicles being used by officials to go to markets, take their children to schools etc. In this case, the use of these vehicles is only limited to the distribution of drugs from Government referral hospitals to peripheral health units within their areas of deployment,” Minister emphasized.

Madam Minister handed over keys of vehicles to the Transport Officer of MoHS

Dr. Alimamy Philip Koroma, Senior Medical Superintendent who will be in charge of the PCMH Hospital starting July 2012, expressed thanks and appreciation to the Global Fund and NAS for the vehicles and reaffirmed the Minister’s assurance to use the vehicles for their intended purposes. He called on his colleagues in whose care the various vehicles will be put to take good care of them.

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