By mohamed M. Sesay
Just as the adage says, he who feels it, knows it, many pregnant women who were due for delivery, children under the ages of five years, and any other persons who had faced health emergency responses, especially during this Curfew Order period, had be consciously or unconsciously neglected by the National Emergency Medical Services (NEMS). The Courier is cognizant of the very fact that extraordinary time requires extraordinary measures. It is commonsensically apt that health emergencies coupled with active ambulance service MUST be on the highest alert during curfew times than any other period.
Among the legal functions of the National Emergency Medical Services (NEMS) is to ideally serve an outfit set out to achieve operational or professional excellence by always providing a sustainable and well-maintained Referral system for Ambulances. Unfortunately, this seemingly prompt response from the National Emergency Medical Response is always dysfunctional during curfew hours.
The Courier was able to unearth this dysfunction of NEMS services on the 11th of November 2023. It was heart-breaking to learn that ambulance operations within the country are also paused during the curfew order period. Only God knows the reason for non-functional emergency ambulance services across the country.
On the aforesaid date, my brother’s wife who was pregnant, was about to deliver in our hands at home, hadn't been the intervention of a nearby PHU's staff at Jui Community.
She started feeling delivery pain by midnight and I contacted the emergency numbers for the ambulance service. To my dismay, all the numbers that I dialed were switched off. I later called 117 by 4:22 am and Mother Luck smiled at me as the call was successful. The individual who picked up the call intimated to me that he had to contact two different numbers so that he could provide me with instantaneous feedback. All of these happened at the time when the Curfew Order period was between 9:00 pm and 6:00 am until recently being extended from 12:00 am-6:00 am.
Giving praise where it is due, both called back and collected details of our particulars immediately. They also tried to contact a nearby ambulance at Hastings Community to provide service to us, unfortunately, their efforts proved futile due to the phobia of the curfew order. My conversations with them lasted between 4:22 a.m. and 5:22 am without any action from the ambulance service providers.
Could you imagine after all the many calls the ambulance service providers refused to come to our rescue. We decided to do the leg work with the anguished pregnant lady. Our two-kilometer leg walk on that memorable night was to locate the nearby PHU within the Jui Community. Being that it was ‘a die or do situation,’ we unremorsefully and unhesitantly bumped into the security checkpoint at Kossoh Town. The security personnel saw the gravity of the situation and they aided us with swift direction to the PHU. Bravo to those police and military officers for using a discretionary sense of policing that indeed saved a life that night. The pragmatic definition of police saving lives and properties was exhibited to its highest magnitude.
On our way to the PHU, I got the number for the in charge and I put her into possible alert. She woke up immediately, contacted her staff, and stood by before our arrival. We arrived at the PHU at exactly 5:4 am. With the help of Allah / God, and at exactly 5:18 am, the pregnant woman delivered a bouncy baby boy!
Bravo to the in charge at Jui PHU, bravo to the security personnel at Kossoh Town, bravo to the young man who was on 117 duty and bravo to the two ladies who attempted to provide the ambulance service. They were all very consistent, professional, and helpful. I will recommend them for any professional opportunity should the need arise.
The above-mentioned class of individuals did their best to help the situation despite the doubts as to whether the ambulance service should run during the curfew order period or not. The challenges were many but I assured them that I would bring those challenges to the attention of government and authorities. I was very honest with them in all our conversations so do they.
This is a clarion call to the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, ONS, Ministry of Information and Civil Education, Health For All Coalition (HFAC), and other relevant authorities, to appropriately drive emergency coordination and service delivery mechanism during the curfew order period.
I made a feedback call to all the people we've contacted before and informed them about this good news. They were all relieved and happy!! See how lucky we are!!!
My situation was solved with the grace of God. But my concern is about the many other pregnant women or those who may need emergency services during this curfew order period. We need clear information as citizens regarding ambulance services during curfew times.
This is the more reason I've decided to take this to the attention of the government and other authorities, to work on a better service delivery mechanism, to provide uninterrupted emergency services to the people of Sierra Leone during the emergency period.
The Courier has the credo that the operation of ambulances should continue despite the current situation to aid emergency services in the country. Government should also put legitimate measures in place, to allow emergency response in the health sector and other relevant sectors across the country without interruptions or hindrances.
Civil society organizations like Health for All Coalition (HFAC), a civil society organization operating in the health sector of Sierra Leone, and other health sector organizations, should also take note of this concern and act accordingly.
In a personal Chart with the Communications Officer John Tamba Allieu, was very consistent and persuasive that the National Emergency Medical Services coupled with ambulance services are up and running twenty-four hours and day seven days a week. John Tamba Allieu also intimated that the toll-free line for the ambulance services has been active with swift responses. He said that might have been an unfortunate isolated case as such has never happened in the historicity of NEMS Ambulance Services Operations. He reassured of making follow-ups on the said incident to forestall future re-occurrence.
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