An eight-man team of Spanish Medical Doctors from a medical organisation known as Surgeons in Action Foundation based in Spain are in Sierra Leone for a week-long free surgeries at the Police Hospital, at Kingtom. On Monday September 25, 2023, the team met with the Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police (IGP) – Mr. William Fayia Sellu at his George Street office in Freetown.
Welcoming the team in Sierra Leone, Mr. Sellu expressed appreciation for their relentlessly support to the SLP’s medical field.
In his words, Mr. Sellu notes: “for us, the medical welfare of personnel is key to achieving effective service delivery. We therefore need to have a system where we can continuously cater for the well-being of our personnel”. Adding, that he was delighted to have the team here in Sierra Leone to render assistance to medically challenged personnel, thereby facilitating and enhancing their work output. The IGP looks forward to building a continuous working relationship with the foundation; disclosing that other medical teams had intermittently visited the SLP to offer assistance. He acknowledged that the Police Hospital is still a young hospital; noting that management is working very hard to upgrade and expand it.
On that note, Mr. Sellu categorically noted dc that in spite of the fact that the hospital is a young one, management of the SLP is nevertheless mindful of people they bring onboard to support in realising its full potentials.
Mr. Fayia Sellu reiterated that “we want to treat our officers in a very special way; we don’t want to see them going to other hospitals, as it takes time and sometimes more expensive but we have the system, we have funds to cater for them, so with such support we are very grateful”.
The IGP recalled that when he took over as head of the SLP, he pushed for the upgrading of the Hospital, which, he said, is not only now serving the Police, but also community members. He appealed for a Paediatric in the future, so that children will form part of the beneficiaries; assuring that whatever is donated to the SLP would be better utilised.
The Head of the team who also doubles as President of the Foundation – Dre Teresa Butron Villa, said that they were pleased to work with the Police, while commending the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital – Dr Conteh for the contact and preparatory work put into their coming into Sierra Leone including, but not limited to providing completed data of beneficiaries and patients.
The team, she disclosed, brought in new Auto Clave machine as a donation for the Hospital, thus adding to the two already bought by the current IGP and in use at the hospital.
