HEALTH MINISTER DR. ABU BAKARR FOFANAH
Freetown June 9, 016 (MOHS) – The Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the government is poised to building a resilient health system for the entire Sierra Leone population. One big infrastructural project in the health sector is the construction of a Tropical Disease Research Centre.
Cross section of the Chinese Technical Team
In bringing the project to fruition, a visiting Chinese Technical Team currently in the country is to conduct a feasibility study for the construction of an ultra-modern Ministry of Health and Sanitation Headquarter and a Tropical Disease Research Centre as part of President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma’s Recovery priorities. Jui and the Central Medical Stores have been identified.
Presenting the team to senior officials of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation at a meeting in the Ministry’s conference hall, Youyi Building in Freetown, the Counsellor, Economic and Commercial Counsellor’s Office, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sierra Leone, Mr. Xiaokai Shen, said the team’s mission was as a response of several discussions held with the Deputy Minister of Health and the Chief Medical Officer on the proposed project for the construction of the Tropical Disease Research Centre and the new Ministry’s Headquarter.
He reiterated that the Ministry was very active in responding to the request for a feasibility study ahead of the construction work, adding that China is committed to support Sierra Leone’s Post Ebola Recovery Plan and to provide basic needs for its people socio-economic development.
Mr. Shen recalled the China Africa Summit held in South Africa where China pledged to support African countries including Sierra Leone in meeting some of the challenges affecting their development, hoping that the bilateral relationship between Sierra Leone and China will continue to grow from strengthen to strength.
The Deputy Director, Department of Foreign Assistance, Ministry of Commence in the People’s Republic of China, Suo Debo, told the meeting that as an institution in charge of aids, they are committed to ensuring the positive construction of the two projects, noting the long standing cordial bilateral relationship between China and Sierra Leone.
The Tropical Disease Research Centre, Mr. Debo said would be of benefit to the two countries, and expressed optimism over the successful completion of the project with support to work as a team.
Welcoming the team, Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation 1, Madam Madina Rahman noted China’s timely intervention during the Ebola outbreak as the first country to provide assistance in the fight against the Ebola Virus Disease.
She expressed gratitude and appreciations for choosing Sierra Leone among other African countries after the China African Summit in South Africa and catalogued some of the infrastructural development in Sierra Leone by the People’s Republic of China including the National Stadium, Youyi Building and the recently constructed Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation building at Tower Hill in Freetown.
Madam Rahman appealed for more technical assistance in building the human resource capacity of the Ministry and looks forward to the successful completion of the project.
The Deputy Minister on behalf of the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, the Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah, the government and people of Sierra Leone thanked the team for the visit and the continued support by the People’s Republic of China to Sierra Leone for a sustainable resourceful partnership.
JAK/KK/MOHS/SLENA
