Speaking at the opening of the week-long 48th annual conference of West Africa College of Surgeons (WACS) at the Miatta Conference Centre, Mr. Koroma said the UNDP human development index ranked the country as one of those with the highest incidence of infant and maternal mortality in the world. According to available statistics, Sierra Leone can only boast of about 60 medical doctors.
President Koroma said the challenge was for his government to transform the entire health sector in the country to ensure better service delivery, adding: "My government is determined to address the poor health condition in the country because, when conditions improved, it will encourage medics to stay home and serve their people.'' To demonstrate his commitment toward the improvement of the situation, the President said his government would allocate a piece of land to the college to enable it build an institution that would cater for the training of surgeons locally as well as create facilities for other sub-regional specialists.
Hundreds of medical doctors from the sub-region are attending the conference. Chairman of the conference's Local Organizing Committee, Dr. Len Gordon Harris, described it as an annual rotational event.In his address, Sierra Leone's Health Minister, Dr. Socco Kabia, described Sierra Leone's health problem as "serious health service delivery constraints'' and blamed the 10-year civil war for the state of the country's health sector.
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Earlier, President of the West Africa College of Surgeons, Prof. E. Alihonou, said Sierra Leoneans had been giving valuable contributions to the college since its inception. He said the college was charged with the responsibility of organising seminars, conducting examinations, researches and training programmes for its members.
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