Sierra Leone :How were Ebola funds used? Movement wants a report

FREETOWN, MARCH 3, 2015: The Movement for Social Progress (MSP) has joined citizens in calling for a full investigation into all local and international donations received by the Government of Sierra Leone in the fight against Ebola, adding that attempts by APC leaders to stifle public debate on the issue is unacceptable. The statement says that Government officials have been using “…intimidatory tactics on ordinary citizens and attempting to usurp the democratic rights of citizens to free speech and press freedom.”

The statement further noted that, “Those who are found guilty of pilfering public funds meant for Ebola should be asked to repay all stolen resources and serve jail terms of not less than 5 years.”

PRIORITISE HEALTH CARE

The current Ebola epidemic is an opportunity for the government to massively scale up the health care systems in the country. The provision of adequate, effective health care should be a right inscribed in the constitution, and the position of herbalists should be clearly delineated since they arguably service the majority of the population. To this end, we call for a total over-hauling of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to make it more fit for purpose.

MSP further calls on the government to massively scale up health care delivery by prioritising the provision of free health care for all citizens starting with the poorest 70% of the population and later incorporating the rest of the population.

The MSP statement said:

“We call on the Government to prioritize the provision of Free Health Care (FHC) for all citizens, especially the poorest 70% of the population. This can be phased-planned and implemented within a five year period, and all international support be directed to the FHC scheme.”

The MSP also calls on the government to seriously address, “The issue of overcrowding and unsanitary conditions in all areas of population concentration.” The movement pit-latrines in urban areas phased out within two years.

REMEMBERING EBOLA VICTIMS

So many Sierra Leonean and non-Sierra Leonean medical personnel lost their lives in the fight against Ebola and they deserve to be properly remembered as true heroes and heroines. In this regard, MSP makes the following demands:
• That all names of hospitals and clinics should be changed and re-named after the medical staff both national and international who died fighting Ebola. The 12 Doctors and hundreds of nurses should be adequately and appropriately remembered. We see no reason why the national referral hospital, named after the Duke of Connaught cannot be renamed after one of the heroes in the fight against Ebola.
• We call on the Government to adequately honour the Cuban people for their heroic and swift response to Sierra Leone by sending the largest contingent of medical personnel at the most appropriate time. The people of Cuba should be adequately remembered by re-naming a street or hospital in honour Cuba’s contributions.

WHO WE ARE

Movement for Social Progress (MSP) is a newly established peoples’ movement open to all Sierra Leoneans and among other things seeks to a) promote social, political and economic justice and ensure that the country’s natural resources benefit the majority of the population and b) to deepen the meaning and practice of democracy and promote active citizenship, so as to privilege the interests of the majority of Sierra Leoneans.

Press Contacts

Email:[email protected]. Tel: +232 25 356 276.