Politicizing COVID is Not the Way Out of Pandemic

January 13, 2023

Ms. Zhao Qian is a Chinese journalist based in Nairobi

On Jan. 9, the Chinese Southern Airlines reopened the straight flight between Nairobi, capital of Kenya, and Guangzhou, a southern Chinese city which is most closely connected with Africa.

After China officially eased restrictions on overseas travel on Jan. 8, many countries have expressed their welcome. However, meanwhile, a few countries have also announced entry restriction measures targeting travelers from China.

In the past three years, China has always put the people and their lives above all else while fighting against COVID. China has the lowest rates of severe cases and mortality in the world. China also has all along shared information on its monitoring of the mutation of the virus and infected groups with the international community in a timely, open and transparent manner. 60 technical exchanges with the WHO happened over the past three years, including four in December 2022 alone. And China has been sharing the genome data of the virus from the latest COVID cases in China via the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID), providing important references for international health research institutions.

With Omicron much less pathogenic and deadly and China’s treatment, antigen testing and vaccination capacity steadily on the rise, China refined its COVID response measures on its own initiative in response to the evolving situation. China’s COVID situation is overall improving. Some provinces and cities have gone through the infection peak, where life and work are coming back to normal at a faster pace.

The refining of COVID response measures is aimed at normalizing people-to-people exchange. As the second largest economy in the world, the importance of China in the recovery of the whole world cannot be doubted. According to the World Tourism Organization, China was the world’s largest tourism spender before the pandemic, with $277 billion in 2018 and $255 billion in 2019 spend by over 150 million Chinese tourists in foreign countries. This is why countries like Thailand, which relies heavily on tourism industry, sent three ministers to the airport to give “heroic welcome” to the first batch of Chinese tourists after China optimized pandemic response. “The number of tourists from China and other parts of the world traveling to Thailand tends to increase continuously,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health of Thailand Anutin told reporters at the airport. “This is a good sign for the Thai tourism sector, which generates income, adds value to the economy, creates jobs and opportunities for people.”

What’s more? The business link will be back to accelerate trades and students will come back to Chinese universities to continue their studies in order to return and build their countries with the knowledge they acquired in China.

While China is opening more to other countries, some led by the U.S. is taking discriminatory entry restriction measures targeting China. The most ironic thing is that it is the U.S. that has smeared China for not easing COVID control measures months ago. Even the New York Timeshas published an opinion piece pointing out that the America’s COVID test requirement for Chinese travelers is a “farce”.

The opinion cited Dr. Lucky Tran of Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center as saying that “If the U.S. is really worried about variants and the spread of COVID through travel, it should require negative tests for all travelers, no matter where they come from, and reinstate the mask mandate for public transportation.”

Hence, the policy only targets China is discriminatory, non-scientific and as everyone knows, is because of political repression.

All parties shall make sure that their COVID response measures are fact-based, science-based and proportionate and avoid politicizing COVID. Only by that, we can make contribution to global solidarity against COVID and to world economic recovery.

Sierra Leone Excursion is Set to Take Tourism to a Higher Pedestal

January 13, 2023

By Brima Sannoh

Establishing the fact that tourism could be a conduit or an engine for overall national development cannot be overemphasized when cognizance is taken of how the sector can mobilize resources, provide job opportunities and contribute immensely to rebranding the image of the country. Commendably, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and its related agency, the National Tourist Board, have recently made great efforts to boost the tourism sector in order to make it more attractive and contribute to national growth. However, there is still a long way to go to make the sector a real game changer and indeed the Government alone cannot accomplish that feat which therefore warrants the private sector to come onboard if only the benefits from the full potentials of tourism could be realized or felt.

One personality that has invested in the hospitality aspect of the sector with the avowed objective of boosting tourism is a wonderful, young, charismatic, ambitious and result oriented Sierra Leonean in the person of Vamba Wai Freeman who left this country for the US at 11 years of age and has now decided to give back to his country.

Based in California, USA, Vamba decided, in 2020, to set up a business entity in Sierra Leone geared towards rolling out activities and developing touristic sites that could be attractive to tourists who venture to travel to the country.

As a young entrepreneur, who owns the Sierra Leone Excursion Limited, a registered company situated on 18 Spur Loop in Freetown, that is also involved in car rentals, jet ski and linking intending tourists to various tour entities in the country, he is very keen to invest more in the sector with the main objective of bringing it up to standard.

One of the unforgettable events that this dynamic young man has so far organized was a beach fiesta, known as Cali Vibes, on the 7th January, 2023 at BawBaw beach in the West End of Freetown, an event that was supposed to take place at Sugarland Beach.

Lamentably, after this young man has spent millions of Leones to book the venue and do all the befitting fixes, orders came from above, probably the Ministries, that it will not be possible for the event to be staged there.

With barely 72 hours to the show, Vamba Freeman and associates have to change the venue to BawBaw Beach which, according to him was very frustrating. “Such is the kind of attitude put up by public officials that discourage potential investors to come to the country and meaningfully invest,” he lamented maintaining that the conducive environment should be provided to woo investors. He disclosed that despite the eleventh hour switch, Cali Vibes, turned out to be a success story and during the event a raffle draw was organized with one person emerging to win the grand prize, which was an Iphone 14 were as others won attractive prizes.

There was also a foam party which was so hot as participants were visibly seen enjoying themselves dancing in the bubbles that the foam machine was oozing. The foam machine is just one of the gadgets that Freeman procured to translate his dream of boosting tourism into reality. In sounding his candid opinions, Freeman intimated that there is much to do to bring the country’s beaches up to an appreciable standard bemoaning that comparatively, as it obtains in other countries, the beaches are not kept clean regularly here in Sierra Leone. “It will not be financially burdensome to part with few Leones to have young guys clean the beaches,” he suggested during an exclusive interview.

Vamba Freeman also disclosed that when, in the recent past, a fire disaster struck Borbu Village in Kailahun District rendering some of the residents homeless and impoverished, he decided to raise funds in the United States with the aim of helping the victims. He intimated that he succeeded in raising some funds which he used to give each of the family heads five hundred thousand Leones (Le500, 000), a bag of rice and some used clothes in a bid to give them solace.

With regards future plans, Vamba disclosed that he is keen to develop BawBaw beach, by bringing it up to standard with all the befitting facilities that will make it an attractive tourism destination. He also informed that he intends to also invest in the agricultural sector and plans to do so at Borbu Village, in Kailahun District.

According to him, entertainment and tourism go hand in hand further revealing how he is very passionate about promoting and fusing the two with the strong conviction that it will make the tourism sector more attracting adding that if the right stakeholders have harnessed that formula then the country will be miles ahead with regards an enhanced tourism sector as it obtains in Jamaica and other places.

Freeman also divulged that his company will embark on linking tourists from different parts of the universe to reputable tour companies operating in Sierra Leone that are capable of providing excellent tour services to various touristic sites in the country. “When I am away the activities of Sierra Leone Excursions Ltd will be undertaken by Abdulai Bah, Emmanuel Freeman and Joseph Lake,” he stated concluding that the attitude of a current Deputy Minister to deny them usage of Sugarland Beach after they have made all necessary arrangements, costing millions of Leones does not augur well for development to transpire as such will only contribute in discouraging potential investors from investing in the country adding that it is not in the best interest of development .

Freetown City Council Shows Disrespect for the Dead

January 13, 2023

By Brima Sannoh

The Freetown City Council (FCC), under Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, was caught by the radar of The Calabash for its total lack of and blatant disregard for the dead during the festive season.

FCC, under her watch, failed woefully to ensure that all the graveyards within the Metropolis are brushed of wild grass and properly cleaned against the backdrop that it is a known tradition that on New Year’s day homage is paid to the dead by family members and friends who visit the graveyard to pour libation and ask for blessings, good luck and guidance from their departed relatives.

For most family members that headed to the cemeteries on the of 1^st January,2023 they experienced the unexpected jolts in their lives when it was conspicuously manifest that the graveyards have been take over by over grown bushes to an extent that to even make it through to identify graves of their loved ones was like finding a needle in a labyrinth. The cemeteries were very unattractive simply because they have been left unattended for very long periods only for reasons which the Mayor could give.

For a Mayor, who is a Krio, with her place of origin being the Freetown Metropolis, to disrespect the dead in such a defiled manner could speak volumes of how some have turned their backs against traditional beliefs simply because they think they have seen the Western light.

Quite recently, criminals have been embolden to nocturnally dug open the graves or tombs to steal clothes, expensive coffins and jewelry. Such could be attributed to the failure on the part of FCC to have fenced those cemeteries and putting other measures in place to ensure that they are regularly cleaned.

Local Councils, in various parts of the world ,are very significant entities in the State Governance, as they are established to complement the development agenda of the Central Government, whose governance scope goes beyond the Metropolis and cannot at all times deal with certain issues which can best be dealt with by Local Governments.

There are a whole array of things which Councils can deal with, ranging from keeping their cities clean, constructing public toilets, taking care of cemeteries, monitoring markets, giving support to some schools, ensuring that sanity/ decorum prevails etc. Here, recently, in Sierra Leone, because of decentralization, some functions of Ministries, Departments and Agencies were devolved to Local Councils out of the conviction that such will enhance service delivery.

It is no hidden secret that the Councils in the provinces have been doing extremely well in championing development projects and it has been the expectation that the Freetown City Council should have been right on top of the chart because it has greater space to collect taxes mainly from traders, business entities and landlords.

Besides, the Council has external sources of getting revenue, one of which is goodwill gestures from twin cities.

Such cannot be a baseless castigation as over the years various assessments carried out by watchdog institutions revealed that FCC has many lapses and has failed to produce tangible results on the ground that can be considered as positive contributions to the development of the Freetown Metropolis and overall national development.

What over the years many have realized is massive corruption within that institution, with regards how funds generated are expended. There have been times without number when development projects undertaken by the Council were haphazardly done, in sub-standard ways and some not even completed but left to ruin.

Cleaning of garbage within the Metropolis should have been the sole responsibility of FCC but in that direction they proved inefficient simply because those who were implementing it were more concentrated in pilfering funds rather than using those funds judiciously for the intended purpose.

That inefficiency ,which made the capital city of Freetown an eye sore and the most stinking one within the West African sun-region, therefore warranted the Central Government to make an appeal to the World Bank for assistance to rectify the situation and with the latter’s intervention the Freetown Waste Management Company came into being.

Though they started on a sound footing, the mere fact that the company was inextricably linked to FCC automatically deprived it of a free hand to perform as it would have aspired.

Since it was FCC that controlled the finances, most of the garbage collecting trucks became grounded for lack of maintenance work and the untimely payment of workers became the order of the day, which led to resentments and strike actions, hampering the effectiveness of the company resulting to piles or heaps of garbage mountain all over the city with the attendant consequence of proliferation of mosquitoes giving rise to high incidences of malaria cases among city dwellers.

Gradually, the Freetown Waste Management Company collapsed and the business of waste management fell into the hands of a private company, MASADA, which according to findings went into a costly contract with the Government, surpassing what the FCC should have been utilizing to carry out efficient garbage collection.

For now waste collection and management lies in the hand of the FCC but from time to time there have been intermittent strike actions by the cleaners or waste collectors over payment issues. As one is addressed the other rears its ugly head.

What FCC is conspicuously good at doing is to see its Metropolitan Police Officers chasing poor traders on the streets, confiscating their goods, take them to their station only for the traders to pay bribes for the release of those wares.

The Freetown City Council needs to redouble its efforts in order to provide the required services that it is mandated to provide.

MaMJGEF Boosts 42 Less Privileged Children with School Materials

January 13, 2023

By Ishmail Saidu Kanu

School materials, worth over 60 million old Leones, were offered to less privileged Children by the Mamie Mariama Justice Ganawah Education Foundation (MaMJGEF) over the weekend.

MaMJGEF is a national charitable Foundation working to contribute to the development of the education sector and campaigning for peace and tranquility in Sierra Leone.

Forty-two children [24 girls, 18 boys] each received 12 notebooks, 6 pens, 12 pencils, 3 eraser, 1 mathematical set, 2 sets of uniforms, 1 bag, 2 pairs of shoes, core textbooks and many other items.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony at Ark Community Center in Freetown, Executive Director of MaMJGEF, Mohamed Ibrahim Justice Ganawah expressed his delight, describing the event as a ‘dream come true’.

“I named this foundation after my mother. It all started on 15 October, 2022 when my colleagues at the office [IGR] helped me with the name MaMJGEF. November 11 we had a dedication service and on the 14 [his mother’s birthday] we officially launched the Foundation,” he intimated.

The ED added: “Let’s treat our future leaders [beneficiaries] with the utmost seriousness. I admonish the parents to give their children the required attention. It’s our obligation to take care of them; you have a big role to play.

“We have 1000s of children out there looking for similar opportunities. So let’s care for our children by setting high standards. My mother was passionate about education so she never settled for less. See where I am today; giving back to society.

“To my future leaders, please take your education seriously. Concentrate on your studies. If your parents are making the effort for your education, and MaMJGEF is supporting you, please ensure you focus on your education; do your best to achieve your goals.

“Everything about life is for you to give back to society. You don’t have to be rich to help others. No matter how little, if you decide to help others you will be able to create the required impact in society,” he noted.

Ganawah said the package for the children was evenly distributed, saying eight of the forty-two beneficiaries were not even going to school. He said they saw them around when they were doing their outreach and enrolled them into various schools.

He told the gathering that they hope to have 500 children by September 2023. “We are planning to go to other parts of the country, especially deprived communities to get the less privileged. We hope to get 15000 children by 2028,” the MaMJGEF ED pointed out.

He continued that the money for the Foundation comes from different individuals who always subscribe to the scheme. “We spent over 60 million Leones to put the packages together, thanks to all those who have been supporting the Foundation”.

Executive Director of MaMJGEF, Mohamed I.J. Ganawah ended by appreciating his volunteers who worked day and night to put the programme together, describing them as ‘wonderful’ and ‘exceptional’. Martha Baratay was singled out as a key volunteer.

Chairman of the event, Abdul Salam Kamara said it’s a dream come true to see all the kids smile, calling on all to help the needy. “You don’t know who that person will become in the future,” he stated.

He said the Foundation is here to empower children for the future, encouraging everyone to subscribe to the MaMJGEF scheme because ‘this is the only way to sustain the Foundation’.

The Chairman congratulated the beneficiaries, emphasizing the importance of the Foundation.

Parents and beneficiaries thanked MaMJGEF for the support, promising to do their best so their efforts will not go in vain.

Omrie Golley Visits Pujehun to launch Agriculture Project

January 13, 2023

Residents of Pujehun District joyfully welcomed Sierra Leone’s former Ambassador to South Korea, Omrie Michael Golley, over the weekend as he was visiting the district to introduce his agricultural development program as well as consult on his political future.

Golley, who has maternal origins from Pujehun and paternal lineage from the Western Area has been touring various parts of the country to establish agricultural training centers as part of his efforts to promote drip irrigation and food self sufficiency in Sierra Leone.

This medium was intimated that the British trained lawyer is set to introduce drip irrigation – a cost effective and environmentally friendly agricultural technology perfected in Israel to ensure crops are produced throughout the year. So far, over four agricultural training centers have been established in Bumbuna, Port Loko, Bo and Kenema Districts. He has recently funded and inaugurated the first students’ farm for the University of Makeni.

At a jam packed meeting in Pujehun past Saturday, Ambassador Omrie Golley explained his vision for a food self sufficient Sierra Leone adding; “I believe this country deserves to move forward and we must all unite and work together regardless of our political ideology, region or tribe…” he said.

Ambassador Omrie Golley

Mobile Tariff Normalization Will Not Affect the Masses

January 13, 2023

This medium has been reliably informed that the proposed tariff adjustment in voice and data is due any day now, but the tariff on daily and social media data bundles used by the majority of the subscribers will not be affected by the proposed tariff review.

According to our sources, this came about after the one-day dialogue and engagement in December 2022, at the Country Lodge in Freetown with Mobile Network Operators, the Minister of Information, the Consumer Protection Agency, the media, the regulatory body of all mobile companies (NatCRA), Civil Society Organizations, Okada Riders, Market Women, Kekeh Riders and other stakeholders in the country that endorsed the minimal tariff increment.

Our sources furthered that this engagement was held to seek the views of members of the public on the challenges faced by the Mobile Network Operators in the country due to the astronomical increase of the exchange rate of the dollar and coupled with other challenges, adding that, it was a continuation of the engagement with the management of NatCA the regulatory body of all MNOs for the tariff review for the past four months.

Furthering that, due to the magnanimity of all Mobile Network Operators, the tariff was to review to the dollar equivalence of the tariff in 2017 but the Mobile Network Operators did not approve it because it will not be in the best interest of their subscribers, adding that, it was later agreed that the daily and social media bundles will not be affected by the new charges. Our sources went on to say that NatCA has scheduled further meetings with the Management of Orange Mobile Company, Africell Mobile Company and Qcell Mobile Company to discuss on the tariff review that is expected to take effect before the weekend.

“In the next 24 hours, both MNOs and NatCRA would have reached an agreement on the final tariff,” our sources said, stating further that, in the previous engagements all Mobile Network Operators have committed that their business will continue to support the growth and development of the country.

New Chinese Ambassador and Speaker of Parliament Hold Fruitful Discussions

January 13, 2023

Wang Qing, the new designated Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of Sierra Leone, on the 11^th January 2022 paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu in his Chambers at Parliament building in Freetown.

The Ambassador said among other things that he had presented his letter of credence to President Julius Maada Bio and that he was impressed with Sierra Leone since his week-long arrival in the country. He said part of his tour of duty was to promote the One China Policy and to deepen bilateral relationships between China and Sierra Leone through mutual respect and cooperation.

He also spoke on the assistance China provided to Sierra Leone during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and called on Presidents Xi Jinping and Julius Maada Bio to keep the momentum for the mutual benefits of China and Sierra Leone.

He also conveyed warmest greetings from the Speaker of the National Congress of China and spoke on the need to improve on exchange programmes between the two countries.

Further, he said China is willing to work closely with Sierra Leone in all areas including Sierra Leone Co-chairing the UN Initiative on Global Education and Chair for C-10 aimed at giving Africa a stronger voice and place at the United Nations, and to promote the One China Policy, an initiative aimed at the transformation of China.

Welcoming the new Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Abass Bundu said Parliament had built a stronger relationship with his predecessors, and assured him of working to deepen and strengthen bilateral relationships between the two countries.

Speaking on a coordinated approach, he said Parliament would work with the Executive to present its development needs including capacity building to the Chinese Government for assistance.

In view of solidarity, he informed the new Ambassador that Sierra Leone Parliament had adopted a resolution during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in China for effectively handling the disease and for its continued assistance to the Republic of Sierra Leone. He also informed Ambassador Qing that he would be invited to a Sitting of Parliament through the Embassy to further recognize Chinese assistance to the Government and the People of Sierra Leone.

Orange SL Host its First Ever Customer Data Management Seminar

January 12, 2023

Orange-Sierra Leone has hosted its first data centre seminar bringing together heads of Government institutions including the Minister of Information and Communications, Director General of NATCA, Anti-Corruption Commission, representatives from ONS and the Sierra Leone Police to provide insights on the company’s internal procedures in relation to processing customer data requests in accordance with business law and license obligations.

The protection of personal data is a joint effort and a fundamental right, just like the right to privacy in a democratic society. Orange’s approach is to implement protection on a daily basis with the aim of respecting privacy of its customer’s personal data whilst maintaining confidentiality.

The protection of personal data requires appropriate legal, technical, and organizational measures. The data protection rules on data security range from access control to securing information systems, raising awareness, encryption of data flows to authorization management amongst others.

Over the years, Orange SL has maintained an accountability approach that is applied in all its sectors whilst processing its customers’ data . This accountability approach is based on 4 areas coordinated by dedicated governance: Cooperating with the authorities by responding to request for customer data from authorized institutions, Assessing the risk of breach of personal data, Regular monitoring of our internal procedures on processing customer data and Develop policies and procedures relating to the protection of Customer data and provide training and raise awareness among employees.

During the session, participants provided insights and recommendations on best practices to foster improvement of the existing procedures on management of customer data requests process.

Generally, the motive of the seminar was to promote transparency and accountability in the process of handling customer information and also to create a positive dialogue to get feedback from stakeholders on the company’s internal management process on customer data.

NP-SL Remains a Reliable & Dependable Development Partner

January 12, 2023

National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL-Ltd)

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

The National Petroleum (NP) Sierra Leone Limited has been lauded for making positive and invaluable contributions related to overall national development as it continues to make meaningful inputs to the economy.

As an efficient petroleum marketing entity, NP-SL Ltd is proud of having various filling stations in various parts of the country and for the mere fact that the company is vibrantly functioning in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia.

This 100% indigenously-owned company has so far offered various employment opportunities to residents in the afore-mentioned countries, keeping in line with the Local Content policy thereby reducing poverty to a considerable level.

Further noteworthy of the company is that it is one of the largest taxpayers to the National Revenue Authority (NRA), one of the institutions that financially empower the Government, through payment of taxes, to roll out various development projects.

Without mincing the truth, NP-SL Ltd has a capable and competent managerial team at the helm of affairs, which from time to time comes up with good initiatives, always ensuring that those initiatives are effusively, effectively implemented to create value for money.
Since it was established by 35 Sierra Leoneans, who bought shares from the Government years back, the company has grown from leaps and bounds; weathering storms that would have run it down. But the resolve of its shareholders and Management to succeed has been the centrepiece that has propelled NP-SL Ltd to a higher level, equal to none in the sub-region. The synergy that runs through its members of staff has also contributed to the company’s growth.

If you ask those who really know NP-SL Ltd, the feedbacks you will receive will definitely border on its commitment to enhance customer care, which the company strongly believes must be prioritized in order to give its numerous customers everywhere absolute satisfaction.

The selflessness and commitment of the shareholders also made it possible for the company to empower many Sierra Leoneans and at the same time put it at a vantage position to continue to open more filling stations across the country.

NP-SL Ltd has cordially maintained a good business relationship with its numerous customers right across the sub-region where it conducts business transactions and most have confessed that they are realizing optimum satisfaction in dealing with the company. The business entity deals with individuals and various sectors of society, always ensuring that its various petroleum products are available and are sold at affordable prices. This keen symbiotic relationship with its customers has been paying huge dividends, always resulting in a win-win situation, making NP very endearing to all and sundry.

The company is also known for offering its customers affordable NP Gas cookers of various sizes, which are safe and very friendly to use. NP Gas cookers could be purchased at all their filling stations across the country and the very gas by the company is also sold to replenish those that have been used.

The company’s result-oriented managerial team will definitely and sustainably continue to put NP at the top.

NP-SL Ltd is doing exceptionally well in all the countries it is functioning and indeed there are prospects for further expansion.

It can therefore be justifiably asserted that the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited is the country’s reliable fuel provider as it always ensures that its stockpile is always at an appreciable level.

Choithram Hospital to Offer Free Paediatric Surgical Camp & Plastic Surgery

January 12, 2023

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

Choithram Memorial Hospital, a private hospital situated on Hill Station in the West End of Freetown, in collaboration with Bintumani Association, will be offering a Free Pediatric Surgical Camp from the 11th March, 2023 to the 23rd March, 2023.

Management of the hospital revealed that a team of German Paediatric Surgeons, who have been visiting Sierra Leone since 2010, will be in the country to perform Paediatric Surgeries free-of-charge at the hospital.

Worthy of note is that this is not the first time that Choithram Memorial Hospital is organizing a Pediatric Surgical Camp as it has been doing so in the past in a bid to avail individuals who could not afford the costs to access good medical treatment.

Speaking to this medium in an exclusive interview, the Medical Superintendent of Choithram Memorial Hospital, Dr. Gowrinath M. George, intimated that patients, aged 15 years and below, are qualified to benefit, adding that patients will be screened at various centers and the final list sent for scrutiny and final evaluation out of which some of the patients will be referred directly to Choithram Memorial Hospital at Hill Station, Freetown, where the operations will be performed for free.

He revealed that the German Team consisting of eight (8) persons, including the Project Coordinator, Dr. Morley Wright and Dr. Ibrahim Al-Naib, including the 3 General Paediatric Surgeons, Dr. Sarah Al-Naib, Dr. Esther Lau, and Dr. Tilman Gresing, and 1 anesthetic doctor (Dr. Kathrin Rüsse) will be administering treatments.

Dr. Gowrinath M. George maintained that the spectrum of conditions to be treated include General Surgeries like Neck fistula and Cyst, Soft Tissue Tumors and Sequelae of Thermal injury, Malformation of the Urogenital and Gastrointestinal tract, Hernias in children, Hypospadia, Undescended testes, Abdominal Wall deformity, minor contractures after burns adding that malformation of the spine will be treated depending on its severity and accompanying lesions.

“Hydrocephalus and Myelomeningoceles, Incomplete Closing of the Backbone, Clubfoot/Talipes, Esophageal stricture, Cleft lip and Palate are excluded,” he stated categorically.

The Medical Superintendent urged interested patients to please contact them on +232 76 292082 or visit the Hospital from Monday to Friday to register for screening.

Registration will open from the 16th January, 2023 to the 10th February, 2023.

On his part, the Chief Administrator of Choithram Group, Harish Agnani, stated that providing qualitative medical treatment for people from all walks of life in the country, since its establishment, has been the vision of Choithram Memorial Hospital.

In another development, the hospital in collaboration with Interplast from Germany will be also offering Free Consultation and Treatment by experienced Plastic Surgeons from Germany from the 23rd March 2023 to 3rd April, 2023. The Free Consultation and Treatment will be coordinated by Dr. Eric Wongo, Plastic Surgeon and Coordinator of the Camp.

Dr. Gowrinath M. George further disclosed that patients suffering from Post Burn Contracture, Disorder/Deformity of hand, feet or wrist, Tumors of Hand and Feet and Cleft Lip and Palate can benefit from the Free Consultation and Treatment.

He also urged interested patients to please contact them on +23276541331 for registration or visit the Hospital on Hill Station in Freetown, adding that registration will commence from the 16th January, 2023 to the 10th February, 2023.