The Free Health Care scheme was launched in April, 2010, by former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma in order to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates in the country.
According to investigations conducted by the Africa 24 investigative team, it seems as if the scheme has died a natural death.
The investigation has also revealed that both senior and junior medical practitioners are still bent on sabotaging the scheme at the detriment of the people of Sierra Leone.
The Africa 24 investigative team was left in surprise as to why all this is happening under the watch of the present government of President Julius Maada Bio. And at a time like this when the economic situation in the country is too difficult to survive.
The investigation revealed that medical practitioners are demanding money from poor sick people for medical service supposed to be free to lactating mothers, pregnant women and children under five(5).
One lactating mother told the Africa 24 investigative team that it is a daily habit of medical practitioners in all government hospitals to demand money for medical services which is contrary to the idea of the free health care initiative. The suckling mother feared that the worst could happen in those remote communities and villages where medical service is a luxury.
Furthermore, she said increase in salaries of health workers will not solve the problem and made emphasis that salary increment will never solve the menace.
Another pregnant woman explained her ordeals that from the look of things, it seems as if the Free Health Care has been abandoned by Bio’s government because it has taken a long time now without hearing about the Free Health Care initiative.
The pregnant woman who could not manage her emotion said the SLPP is good at abandoning good projects that the erstwhile government had managed to initiate.
The investigative team went to Youyi Building to get more from the Minister of Health about the Free Health Care scheme but to no avail.
However, there are lots of speculations if whether the scheme is still functioning.