Sierra Leone News: Management of Choithram Memorial Hospital Clarifies
Choithram Memorial Hospital is not a chartable Hospital but Offers Free Medical Services to the Less Privileged
By Alusine Sesay
The Choithram Memorial Hospital is not a charitable hospital despite the fact that it has provided free medical services to thousands of less privileged Sierra Leone over the years, the finance director of the hospital, Mr Harish Agnani said on Wednesday.
Some of the free medical treatments were offered to patients with heart diseases and cancer, among others.
Agnani said that they hold free medical camps, and partner with specialized doctors overseas to offer free medical operations from time to time. These treatments would have cost thousands of dollars abroad for each patient.
The finance director told a news conference in Freetown that the hospital does not receive funding from the Indian government. “Not a single cent is coming from the [Indian] government,” Agnani said.
He said the hospital is managed through fees generated from services provided by the facility. He said that if there is funding gap in the management of the hospital, the Choithram Memorial Foundation will support the facility.
His comments came after it was falsely rumoured that the hospital is a charitable facility following the visit of the Indian vice president to Sierra Leone.
Agnani said that they took over a defunct Hill Station Hospital in 1994. He said that they upgraded the facility and started operation in 1998. He said that during the interregnum in January 1999, the hospital was vandalized and equipment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars were vandalized. This resulted in the closure of the hospital which was later taken over by the United Nation Peacekeeping Mission in Sierra Leone. He said that even when the United Nations took over the hospital for their staff, Management of Choithram hospitalensureed that 15 beds were reserved for Sierra Leoneans.
He said after the United Nations left, they took over the hospital in 2006, and upgraded it. He said that today they have over 20 buildings including the three buildings they met.
He said, “We are not here to make money that is not the wish of the main founder [of Choithram businesses].” Pa Choithram established businesses in Sierra Leone in 1944.
Agnani said that the mandate of the hospital is to provide quality health services to the people of Sierra Leone.
He said that they have 250 employees including specialist doctors at the hospitals. He said that hospital is equipped with modern medical equipment to prevent Sierra Leoneans from travelling overseas for medical services. He said that fees they charge for specialized services are far lower than those charged in other countries for the same services.
He said that they have also waived fees for hundreds of patients who could not meet their medical bills. He showed evidences to prove his point.
He said they pay salaries, NASSIT and PAYE for their staff promptly.
He maintained that they could not meet the needs of their staff and provide quality health services to the people of Sierra Leone if they don’t charge fees.
He said that the hospital has been building the capacities of Sierra Leoneans health workers including doctors in various medical fields.
He spoke about plans to hold free medical camp in January.
He also spoke about plans to extend the outpatient department of the hospital which will cost huge sum of money.
A father of a child who survived the Freetown mudslide told journalists that his child benefitted from free operations at the Choithram Memorial hospital. He said that his child was a referral case from the Connaught Hospital. “I did not pay a cent for operations,” he said.
An elderly woman, Isatu Kamara told Premier News that she is benefitting from the free medical treatment at the Choithram hospital.
