By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Ministry of Health (MoH) in a Press Statement, dated 26th September 2024, announced a groundbreaking partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to implement a $24 million project aimed at transforming the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) and strengthening rehabilitation services nationwide.
This initiative will enhance NRC operations across six critical areas, including data and clinic management, education and training, supply chain improvements and infrastructure development among others. The project is poised to significantly improve rehabilitation services for thousands of Sierra Leoneans with disabilities, enhancing their quality of life.
However, the ongoing illegal occupation of NRC premises has posed a major obstacle to the project’s implementation. Unauthorized occupants have established makeshift structures on the center’s grounds and informal trading activities along nearby roads, disrupting daily operations and creating security risks.
In response, the Ministry has taken proactive steps, holding four stakeholder meetings with the squatters and community leaders to resolve the issue peacefully. Despite those efforts, including the latest meeting on September 6, 2024, the squatters have yet to vacate the premises.
Key resolutions from the meetings include the demarcation of roads, a resurvey of NRC land and the immediate eviction of unauthorized occupants. The Ministry stresses that the success of the MIT project and the continued provision of essential rehabilitation services depend on restoring NRC operations in a secure environment.
The Ministry is urging all stakeholders to adhere to the agreed-upon actions. Failure to comply may result in intervention by security forces to safeguard the project’s future.
