By Patrick A. Kai
SEND SL, a National Non-Governmental Organization, in partnership with the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR), with funding support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has on March 16, 2021 conducted a one-day validation workshop on scorecard report on Sexual and Reproductive Health Services (SRHS) in Kenema.
The validation workshop, which was held at the Paloma Hall in Kenema, brought together the District Council Chairman and other members of the Council, health workers, Civil Society Organizations, traditional authorities and the media.
Explaining the purpose of the meeting, the M&E Manager intimated that they were gathered to discuss and validate the scorecard report on SRH Services in 4 PHUs in Kenema District.
Aminata Akeratu Tholley informed that the survey, which targeted adolescent girls, PHU staff and older women was conducted in four Peripheral Health Units (PHUs) at Ngelehun, Hangha, Kpandebu and Gao in the Kenema district.
She said the report seeks to keenly look at the health service delivery in eight Sierra Leonean communities. She maintained the study prioritises citizens’ experiences and perceptions with special reference to their Sexual and Reproductive Health (SPH).
According to her, the survey will enable the organisation and its partners from the State, international and civil society sectors to assess the contributions of the research as well as draw lessons for effective citizen-led advocacy.
She added that the efforts are expected to increase the health sector’s appreciation of clients’ views and needs, strengthen citizens’ capacity to hold their duty bearers to account for the quality of service delivery and challenge health service providers to deliver services more responsively and effectively.
Presenting the draft report on the scorecard, the Project Officer-Alhaji F. Kamara revealed that the research, which was conducted by SEND Sierra Leone in partnership with Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights, used the community scorecard as its principal tool for data collection and analysis.
Alhaji said based on the study’s objective of influencing change in service delivery, the scorecard was identified as a suitable action research tool, one that would provide an avenue for citizens to engage constructively with service providers in a systematic way, supported by simple scores which reflect citizen’s experiences.
He furthered that the community scorecard builds on practices that are common to the participatory rural appraisal research tradition.
The field work, according to him, took place in May 2020 with eight PHUs in Kailahun and Kenema districts.
The scorecard revealed a lot of mishaps in some PHUs ranging from unfair accessibility of SRHS, availability of medicine and consumables, availability of equipment, cost of consultation, cost of medicine, citizens experience on the quality of the Free Health Care and services to respect for clients to accessibility of services amongst others.
In an interview with the Kenema District Council Chairman, Mohamed Amodu Sesay, he lauded the efforts of the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights and SEND SL for such a great work. The report, he said, gives an insight into the plights faced by citizens which will enable them as Government to proffer solutions to those problems.
He admonished the health providers in the respective PHUs not to take vengeance because of claims made by the community people and further admonished them to serve humanity with good consciences.
Journalists from Kenema, Kailahun and Freetown are expected to engage policy makers and hold them accountable to Women, Newborn, Children and Adolescents Wellbeing projects on commitment and the findings of the Community Scorecard Assessment in Policy and implementation.
On their part, the journalists at the training, vouch to effectively report and disseminate the findings and advocate in holding stakeholders accountable for development.
