The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Health and Sanitation, the Honorable Bernadette Wuyatta Songa, has expressed grave concern over the recent submission of improper documents by officials of the National Medical Supplies Agency to Members of Parliament. Hon. Songa deemed this act as utterly irresponsible.
The Chairperson's remarks were made during a group interview with journalists held on Wednesday, 20th March, 2024, at Committee Room No. 1, Parliament Building, Tower Hill, Freetown. This interview followed the unanimous decision of the Health Committee to stand down five officials of the former Medical Stores, now Medical Supplies Agency, until Monday, 25th March, 2024.
Based on the Committee's oversight activities, it was discovered that there are significant challenges with the supply of medical supplies to hospitals across the country. Consequently, officials of the Agency were invited to provide an explanation.
Regrettably, the officials presented an incomprehensible document, rendering it unreadable for the Members of Parliament. This hindered fruitful deliberations. Hon. Songa expressed her disappointment and instructed the Agency to revise the document, ensuring its electronic submission by Monday.
Members of the Committee strongly condemned the Agency's officials for their 'completely irresponsible behavior,' emphasizing that such actions impede the oversight work of Parliament. Hon. Songa reiterated the Committee's desire to witness effective health service delivery for the ordinary citizens of Sierra Leone.
To achieve this, the Committee seeks to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues and challenges faced by the Agency, thereby facilitating the identification of solutions to address the under-delivery of medical supplies to hospitals nationwide.
The wide-ranging issues impacting hospitals include shortages of drugs and delays in their supply. The Committee aims to elicit information from the Agency regarding these constraints and identify solutions that can mitigate the deplorable health conditions prevailing across the country. Hon. Songa expressed optimism that the Committee's intervention would lead to improvements in healthcare services.
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