By Joseph Momoh, Daily Scope Reporter
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated a comprehensive monitoring exercise focused on the management of medical drugs in government hospitals. On November 4, 2025, the ACC’s Prevention Department convened key stakeholders from the Medical Stores, Hospital Management Teams, and the Western Urban and Rural District Councils at Integrity House in Freetown.
The engagement aimed to enhance oversight of drug procurement, receipt management, and distribution within selected government health facilities. The objective is to assess both centrally supplied and locally procured drugs to ensure compliance with established standards.
Deputy Commissioner Augustine Foday Ngobie emphasized the importance of collaboration in the fight against corruption, stating that the ACC cannot fulfill its mandate alone. He urged stakeholders to act as anti-corruption ambassadors, promoting efficiency, transparency, and accountability within the healthcare system.
In his closing remarks, Ngobie stressed the need for active participation from all institutions involved to ensure the monitoring exercise proceeds smoothly. “Your collaboration and commitment will make this fight much more effective and help minimize corruption-related practices in Sierra Leone,” he stated.
Rashid Turay, Director of the Prevention Department, explained that the department’s role is to evaluate systems and practices across government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to identify and rectify corruption vulnerabilities. He noted that a lack of comparative analysis in recent years had created gaps that this monitoring exercise aims to address by evaluating compliance with established protocols.
Ibrahim Sorie Kamara-Kay, Head of the Monitoring and Compliance Unit at the ACC, outlined that the initiative responds to ongoing public concerns regarding drug procurement, storage, and distribution issues within public health facilities. He referenced previous audits that highlighted significant corruption risks, including poor documentation, expired supplies, and informal charges imposed on patients.
The monitoring exercise will cover drug management from January to September 2025 and will target institutions such as Kingharman Road Hospital, Macauley Street Hospital, Rokupa Government Hospital, Lumley Government Hospital, and Waterloo Government Hospital. The approach will incorporate document reviews and interviews with key personnel, including pharmacists and procurement staff.
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