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Kambia Badly
Needs Trained Medics
4th April 2005
Cheltenham's appeal to build a hospital in
Kambia may have succeeded, but campaigners will continue to help
build a brighter future for the area.
Their aim was to build a desperately needed health facility for
the impoverished inhabitants of war-torn Sierra Leone. Now it is
up and running, their work might seem to be done.
Instead supporters have announced a fresh challenge.
They plan to provide staff to work in the hospital, which opened
last summer after five years of fundraising.
At the moment there is only one doctor to care for the region's
340,000 residents and the 50-bed hospital's patients.
Appeal spokesman James Dowling explained qualified practitioners
were in short supply because many had fled the country during
the civil war and others were tempted abroad by better salaries.
He said: "Kambia's about the size of Cheltenham and there's
only one doctor, and he's not even there all the time.
"Then there's no one trained to operate and the
consequences can obviously be pretty dire."
The Appeal is launching a scholarship fund to fund the training
of medics.
Initially, the plan is to put one student through the six-year
course in the capital, Freetown.
But it is hoped the programme will expand to include the
training of more doctors, midwives and nurses.
James said: "We're working with the Ministry of Health
there and they're saying it's the ideal way to help. So many aid
agencies just breeze in and do a bit then leave without having
addressed the long-term issues.
"This is a real investment in people in Kambia, helping
them to build a future when they'll be able to help themselves.
"People there are so grateful to the people of Cheltenham
for everything that's been achieved so far."
The link between Gloucestershire and Kambia was forged after an
African charity worker visiting friends here described the
region's plight.
The charity was set up to support an existing hospital. When it
was destroyed in the civil war, supporters pledged to build a
new one.
If you can donate to the appeal, please
contact Richard Kerr-Wilson.
© Gloucestershire
Echo. |
