Residents from villages close to the Mabai Community Health Post in Kholifa Mabang Chiefdom, Tonkolili District, have expressed dissatisfaction over the filthiness of the center.

They say it is hazardous to the health and safety of community members especially the lactating mothers, children and pregnant women.

The hospital was established, over the years, to save lives is in an eyesore.

Residents have said in an interview with our journalist on Tuesday, December 10th 2024 that the health facility has turned out to be the most unclean Health Center in the district of Tonkolili.

For example, they say, they hospital labour room or delivery unit, is a specialized area where pregnant women give birth and receive care before and after delivery.

Labour rooms are usually located near the obstetric department and NICU, and are often divided into three zones: unsterile, protective, and delivery unit.

Most labuor rooms have easy chairs to sit on, bean bags, and mats to help you move around and change positions. Some rooms also have baths, showers, or birthing pools.

But at Mabai Health Center, the labour room is not properly taken care of and pregnant women complain about the smelly odor in the room which causes discomfort for patients and visitors especially during delivery process.

“This is really sad and our lives are risk. The labour room is disgustingly dirty,” says a pregnant woman in the community, who chose not to be mentioned.

Other pregnant women added their voices on the poor sanitary conditions at the centre.

Immediately after the interview, this reporter visited the Health Center and found out that the hospital is really in a dilapidated state and needs urgent repairs.

Most parts of the building have been damaged but the head of the Health Center, could not maintenance the centre, according to residents.

According to investigation, the District Health Management Team of Tonkolili has been giving out incentives for the maintenance of Health Centers across the District, but it’s still unclear why the Mabai Community Health Center still remains dirty as there is no plan to remedy the problem.

“With all the monies allocated by DHMT for the maintenance of the Center, we’re surprised to see our hospital in such a messy state,” Aminata Bangura, a pregnant woman in the community said.

DHMT is not immediately available to confirm whether the hospital has been allocating with funds for the maintenance.

According to another source, the current In-Charge of the Center took along with a number of her children and grandchildren when she was transferred to the Center a few years ago.

The said children and grandchildren of the current In-Charge have reportedly damaged the building.

During our investigation, we also discovered that there’s an ongoing conflict between the one In-Charge and her only Staff.

This conflict, though some officials from the DHMT have intervened is hampering the smoth- running of the Hospital.

Patients, lactating mothers and pregnant women said the conflict has affected them.

This is because the ongoing conflict between the two Health workers has had a spillover effect on residents whenever they go to the hospital.

“The situation at the Centre is currently disgusting. The place is dirty and there’s no semblance of a Health Center. We’re therefore calling on the DHMT, Tonkolili District Council, Ministry of Health to intervene or the community will continue to surfer,” Mohamed Sankoh, a Youth Leader said.