On 13th July 2023, the Public Education and External Outreach Unit of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s office in Northern Region urged the Management staff of Kabala Government Hospital (KGH) to intensify their stance against corruption and corrupt practices. The call was made in a Customized Meeting which is part of the Commission’s strategy to empower public officials to ward off and report corruption at all times.
Delivering the main anti-corruption message, the Senior Officer of the Unit, Abdul Karim Kamara, noted that the ACC is mandated to prevent, investigate, and prosecute corruption as provided for in the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 as amended in 2019. He stressed however that, the Commission puts premium on preventing corruption by supporting public institutions and communities to repel corruption. And as such, the meeting would be friendly and interactive.
Bangura further disclosed that public concerns about alleged acts of corruption at the hospital have been raised and should not be dismissed in a hurry. He added that albeit the reports are not proven, but the Management should try as hard as possible to uphold best practices in delivering service to the public ensuring that other healthcare providers at the hospital do likewise. He added that, in doing so, integrity in service should be sought and maintained invariably.
During the meeting, the ACC team realized that the Integrity Management Committee (IMC) in the hospital, which had been set up with the support of the ACC to checkmate any pervasions of due diligence, has not been functioning for a very long time. Thus, Bangura strongly recommended that the IMC should be revived and its members seen to perform their responsibilities as per the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy Action Plans. ‘We will want to see the IMC back in motion and we will follow up on the progress made in that regard.’
In his contribution, Public Education Officer, Aiah Sourie, informed the senior staff members of the hospital about the anti-corruption laws in the country. He referred to the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 and gave an overview of the provisions of its 2019 amendment, citing increased fine and length of imprisonment term upon conviction. Sourie then encouraged the wealth administrators to improve on their internal structures to combat corruption in order to avoid the wrath of the law.
Medical Superintendent of the Kabala Government Hospital, Dr. Alie Damola Tarawallie responded to the anti-corruption messages and thanked the ACC for the engagement and commended its efforts in educating the public on the dangers of corruption. He pledged on behalf of his colleagues to institute stronger measures, including revitalizing the IMC, to resist wrongdoings at the hospital. Similar sentiments were expressed by the Koinadugu District Medical Officer, Dr. Steven Fornie, who was part of the engagement.
Copies of the Commission’s quarterly newsletter and public education stickers were handed over to the medical doctors at the end of the engagement.
