In a official ceremony, CUAMM Director Don Dante Carraro has handed the rehabilitated premises at Connaught Hospital over to the Vice President of the Republic H.E. Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh and the Minister of Health Dr. Austin Demby. The rehabilitation works included both structural interventions and equipping provided by Leoncini S.r.l. followed by Regione Veneto.
«The rehabilitation complete that we are inhaugurating today do justice to a very specific model of cooperation which serves the people and makes a change that is evident, real, concrete yet only achievable if done together. With Africa» said CUAMM director Don Dante Carraro during the ceremony at the presence of the Vice President of the Republic H.E. Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, the Minister of Health Dr. Austin Demby together with a large number of officials and health workers who spend their days to promote the health of their patients.
Built in 1926, Connaught Hospital is the main hospital not only in the district but the whole country being the point of reference for a population of about 1.493.252 inhabitants.
Nevertheless, the hospital obsolescence, wear and tear of health equipment, lack of toilets in health-care facilities and congestion of spaces have contributed to create an unpleasant and inhospitable environment for both health workers, patients, families and visitors ultimately leading to an overall malfunction of the health service.
Following the support request from the Government of Sierra Leone, the rehabilitation work of both the hospital OPD and ER block started in July 2021. Due to their obsolescence, interventions of renewal have been conducted on 800 m2 while expansion and construction affected around 200 m2. As a result, a new Intensive Care Unit and a wider space for triage are now available in the hospital where various functionalities have been enhanced so that a seamless flow of emergency care can be provided.
«The OPD block and the emergency room have long been the most obsolete wards at the Connaught Hospital. Today, by receiving renovated premises, this hospital became a model in the provision of healthcare services and turned into a flagship for our national health system, especially for what concerns emergency services» said the Minister of Health Dr. Austin Demby at the closure of the event.
Through the rehabilitation of Connaught Hospital CUAMM aims to improving the quality of health services delivered at national level and supporting the government of Sierra Leone in the provision of timely and efficient care to a ever increasing number of patients.
