By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma
The Academic Staff Association (ASA) in the University of Sierra Leone has on Monday 9th November, 2021 donated medical items worth over 20 million Leones to the Connaught hospital management as their own contribution to help in the caring of the victims of the Wellington Tanker Fire disaster that are currently been treated by the hospital .
The donated items included cartoons of antibiotics, cotton wool, and Sulphur dioxin among others.
Speaking during the donation at the Connaught Hospital on Monday, the President of ASA Dr. Williette James, said that when they received the news on Friday night about the disaster at Wellington, they as an association decided to come together with their meagre resources to come to the aid of their fellow compatriots in order to help the hospital with the needed medical supplies that is essential for victims that are undergoing medical treatment.
“We came together and we said yes, actually, this is a national disaster government is supposed to play their own part but as staffs of the university, out of the meagre resources we are having, we saw it fit that we are supposed to chip in a little bit to ensure that people who are suffering at the moment, their pains are alleviated, ‘’she said.
Madam James said that they as an association hope that the donated medical supplies will go a long way to ensure that needed supplies that are needed by the hospital are well utilized by the hospital management.
“On behalf of ASA and on behalf of the lecturers of the university if Serra Leone, I present this to you this donation of medical supplies worth over 20 million Leones. We hope that this will go a long way to ensure that needed supplies that you have are in and are utilized,’’ the ASA President said.
The ASA President went on to say that, they as an association were still contributing in order to help the hospital adding that they cannot wait until the contributions are over before they can make their donation but however assured the hospital management that they will buy more things as they continue getting more contribution from their members.
‘’But this is actually the first set of donation that we are making to the Connaught Hospital and I want to tank Dr. Mohamed Bawoh, he is my Vice President and he actually works here as well but he was very much instrumental in ensuring that we get together some of the needed supplies that the hospital will be able to use,’’ The ASA President added.
On his part, Dr. Moses Batema, Deputy Incident Manager and Deputy Managing Director National Medical supplies Agency (NMSA), expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to ASA for the donation, describing the donation as really worthwhile adding that the donation came in at a time when its most needed thus saying this shows a demonstration how the citizens of the country can rally around when disasters strikes.
“This is an excellent example and we encourage other like-minded compatriots, to do the same. This is very much appreciated, would like to assure you that these commodities will be well managed, and they will be used for its intended purpose. Thank you very much,’’ he said.
Dr. Mohamed Bawoh, vice president of ASA, who also doubles as a medical doctor at the Connaught hospital, welcomed the donation and heaped praises to the association for playing their part at the time the hospital and Sierra Leoneans needed help the most adding that the donated items will go a long way in the work of the hospital .
‘’The antibiotics are actually for the patients and it was me that really advise for us to have those items. At the moment these are the things we needed although we needed some other few. So we are asking other organizations that are able to do similar thing to add to the list,’’ he said but added that as a hospital they needed more essential medical supplies to help in their work.
He added that they as a hospital they needed cleaning materials like paraphin gloves and other materials as he said that they are an essential instruments in the smooth running of their day to day job.
‘’Essentially what ASA has donated today will go a long way in helping for the needs. The gloves we have 2,300, the IV Fluids about six cartoons, we get Sulphur dioxin also in more than 200 quantities,’’ Dr. Bawoh said.
