I believe that as part of its efforts to adequately address the health issues facing the country, Sierra Leone should enact the establishment of district councils (or boards) of health. Yes I know that a lot of people are tired of governments setting up so many councils, committees and boards that haven’t yielded much by way of improving the lives of people in the areas of interest, but for some reason, I just think in this case it might work.
Being that through devolution, management of local affairs is mostly delegated to district councils, I believe by having councils whose sole purpose it is to address the health care issues of the respective districts will go a long way. The councils will:
(1) Serve as primary advocates of the people of the respective district
(2) Educate Central/National government about specific needs of each district; better understanding of unique cultural and social dimensions
(3) Better understand the reasons for lack of utilization or access to health care (being members from that community) and make recommendations accordingly.
(4) Monitor with greater authority health care delivery by government’s secondary and tertiary centers, NGO’s, and medical practitioners.
(5) Maintain strong communication between health care delivery channels and the community
(6) Be accountable to the people they represent; the people in turn being closer to policy makers and be able to give input in their affairs
A centralized medical system have proven over the years to be short of stated goals, even with so much national and foreign government as well NGO financial and material input. Many reasonable explanations have been given by various observers but I think the one missing link could just be giving greater authority to the people through locally established district councils/boards (whatever name they choose to give it) of health.
What do you think? Do you think there is more to the problem than this? Do you think it would be unnecessarily politicized? Would this become another avenue for corruption or bureaucratic inefficiency?
Innocent
