Parliamentary Health Chair Slams Alleged Bribery and Malpractices in Hospitals
By Musa Paul Feika
Hon. Bernette Wuyatta Songa, Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Member of Parliament for Kailahun District and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, has strongly condemned what she described as widespread bribery and malpractice in government hospitals across the country.
Addressing hospital heads during a committee engagement held on Tuesday, 19th August 2025, in Committee Room One at Parliament, Hon. Songa accused District Medical Officers (DMOs) of demanding NLe50 to NLe60 from patients before they are allowed to see a doctor. She described this practice as “dubious and exploitative,” adding that it places untold suffering on poor citizens.
The Health Committee Chairperson further alleged that some DMOs are in the habit of collecting as much as NLe300 from women giving birth in hospitals
despite the government’s policy that maternal health services should be free of charge. “Requesting NLe300 from poor women in labor is unacceptable and makes life unbearable for struggling families,” she emphasized.
Hon. Songa specifically pointed to Rokupa Government Hospital and several others, accusing them of failing to properly record free medical supplies provided by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS). She expressed deep dissatisfaction with the situation and urged hospital matrons and administrators to correct these lapses, improve accountability, and prioritize the well-being of patients.
She also criticized some nurses for leaving duty stations before their scheduled time, calling the act “dishonest to the highest degree.” In addition, she raised concerns over the absence of proper patient plan sheets in several hospitals she had visited, warning that such negligence poses serious risks, particularly in cases where patients lose their lives.
Hon. Songa further accused hospital clerks of siphoning funds collected from patients, vowing to summon them before Parliament for questioning regarding their roles and responsibilities.
She made it clear that the committee’s engagement was not intended to embarrass health officials but rather to keep them accountable and ensure that the health sector delivers the quality services the people of Sierra Leone deserve.
