By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Hinga Demby, on Wednesday, 18th March 2026, engaged representatives from the media and Civil Society Organizations in a comprehensive dialogue on ongoing reforms and achievements in Sierra Leone’s health sector.
The meeting, organized by the Ministry of Health, provided an opportunity for the Minister to update stakeholders on key healthcare transformations and respond to public concerns regarding service delivery across the country.
During the engagement, Dr. Austin Hinga Demby outlined significant progress made over the past five years, highlighting expanded medical training, improved energy supply to health facilities, enhanced diagnostic services and strengthened logistics systems as central to the Government’s drive toward achieving universal health coverage.
He reported that national vaccination coverage has remained consistently high, while 11 hospitals across the country are now equipped with on-site oxygen plants; an improvement he described as critical to supporting neonatal, maternal and emergency care services.
The Minister also emphasized ongoing efforts to make health facilities energy-independent. According to him, about 380 facilities have already been transitioned to alternative energy sources, with a long-term target of reaching between 1,600 and 2,000 facilities by 2030 to ensure uninterrupted medical services.
A key component of the reforms, he said, is the strengthening of the healthcare workforce through increased medical training and specialist development. Dr. Austin Hinga Demby disclosed that the number of locally trained medical graduates has increased from about 30 annually to 90 last year, with projections of 250 graduates this year and 350 next year.
He further revealed that a new medical school building with the capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 students is being developed, alongside a West African board-certified postgraduate training programme aimed at boosting specialist retention and reducing reliance on overseas training. Currently, between 120 and 150 resident doctors are enrolled in specialist programmes in areas such as obstetrics, surgery and psychiatry.
On infrastructure development, Dr. Dr. Austin Hinga Demby highlighted ongoing renovations of hospitals, installation of advanced diagnostic equipment and construction of new healthcare facilities across the country. He cited the installation of a high-performance CT scanner at Connaught Hospital and disclosed plans for the construction of a 300-bed state-of-the-art hospital in the Western Area.
Additional projects include the construction of 100-bed hospitals in Wayamba and Kipujo, as well as the development of specialized maternal and pediatric centres of excellence aimed at improving quality care for mothers and children.
The Minister also spoke about efforts to modernize emergency response services, noting that ambulances are being integrated into a digital dispatch system designed to improve response times through better coordination of vehicles, trained personnel, fuel supply and hospital linkages.
He disclosed that a new pharmaceutical-grade warehouse is currently under construction to improve the storage of medicines and medical equipment, addressing past challenges related to drug preservation and quality control.
On personnel management, Dr. Austin Hinga Demby explained that the Ministry has introduced a digital recruitment portal that processed about 9,000 applications for approximately 3,000 positions. He added that a planned field verification exercise will ensure that all Government payroll recipients are present and qualified for their roles.
Despite those gains, the Minister acknowledged ongoing financial constraints in the health sector. He revealed that per-capita health spending currently stands at approximately $46, with about $7 coming directly from Government resources most of which is allocated to staff salaries.
Dr. Austin Hinga Demby called for increased domestic financing through targeted taxes and health insurance schemes while maintaining support from international partners.
He stressed that accountability remains central to the Ministry’s operations, confirming that authorities are investigating the disappearance of 18 portable ultrasound machines discovered missing during stock reconciliation.
Describing the matter as an anti-corruption issue, the Minister reaffirmed the Government’s zero-tolerance policy toward misuse of public resources and called for public cooperation as investigations continue.
He concluded by emphasizing the importance of collaboration with journalists and Civil Society Organizations, whom he described as critical partners in strengthening transparency and improving healthcare delivery nationwide.
