By Joseph Momoh, Reporter, D.S
On Friday, May 30, 2025, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), Madam Kenyeh Barlay, conducted site visits to several significant projects in Kono, including the Kono Government Hospital (KGH), an innovative agricultural tech farm, and a bridge linking Kamara and Sandor Chiefdoms.
During her visit to the KGH in Koidu Town, Madam Barlay gathered first-hand information on one of the largest investments in the country, aimed at transforming the hospital into a center of excellence for maternal and child health. The facility will feature a laboratory, blood bank, maternal and child health department, cervical center, operating theater, isolation unit, oxygen plant, and a 17-bed intensive care unit, among other amenities. It is being developed by Partners in Health (PIH) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, with construction managed by Build Health International.
The minister emphasized that 65% of the hospital’s equipment will be imported, and upon completion, the hospital will employ approximately 150 staff, predominantly Sierra Leoneans, with a focus on female youth. “I am pleased with the progress made so far,” she stated, highlighting the importance of the health sector to national development despite current global challenges.
Dr. Mohamed Sankoh, the District Medical Officer, noted that the KGH has been transformed into a teaching hospital, frequented by students from local universities for practical training. Mayor Komba Sam of the Koidu New Sumbehun Town Council praised PIH as a model for the country and anticipated that the facility would be commissioned by the President by the end of the year.
Stakeholders raised concerns about the rising number of MPOX cases in the district and the high operational costs of running generators at the hospital. They underscored the urgency of completing the theater and laboratory, alongside a pressing need for more staff to accommodate the influx of over 1,500 patients weekly.
On Saturday, May 31, the Minister visited the Yormateh Youth Farmers Association in Tombodu, which has cultivated 130 acres of rice and provides hands-on training in agriculture. Mr. Augustine Sahr Sheku, Chairman of the Kono District Council, noted that this is the first locally-owned innovative agric-tech center in the country, emphasizing the need to pivot towards agriculture as diamond mining resources dwindle.
Madam Barlay articulated that these projects align with the government’s Five Big Game Changers initiative and expressed her desire to replicate such initiatives nationwide. She acknowledged the need for increased funding to implement the Medium-Term National Development Plan and urged local communities to support these transformative projects.
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