By Lawrence Williams
In a stark revelation, the Auditor General’s report 2022 uncovered a dire situation regarding the shortage of trained healthcare providers in Sierra Leone. With only two clinical health workers per 10,000 people, it paints a grim picture of the healthcare system’s capacity to meet the needs of the population.
The report highlights that almost 64% of skilled health workers’ positions are currently vacant, leaving a gaping hole in the workforce. Shockingly, approximately half of the total nursing workforce in the country the report said consists of volunteers who are not on the government’s payroll, further exacerbating the staffing crisis.
It reads: “The country suffers from extreme shortage of trained healthcare providers, having only two clinical health workers per 10,000 people. Almost 64% of skilled health workers’ posts are currently vacant. About half of the total nurse workforce in the country are volunteers and not on the government payroll.”
Interviews with key personnel and the review of documents by the auditors confirmed the widespread shortage of healthcare personnel, including doctors, nurses, and support staff such as drivers, porters and cleaners. Medical superintendents in various hospitals have echoed concerns about the insufficient number of staff, with many not even pin-coded and some pursuing further education to enhance their skills.
Visits to hospitals like the Ola During Children’s Hospital revealed alarming ratios of specialists to patients, with only a fraction of the required staff available to provide adequate care.
“Our visit to the Ola During Children’s Hospital revealed a minimum of four specialists to 150/200 patients per day (when a minimum of 8 to 10 is needed),” the report states.
The report emphasises that this scarcity of medical personnel will severely impact the quality of healthcare services, thus underscoring the urgent need for recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals to address this critical issue.
