Sierra Leone launches free healthcare system
Published:Tuesday | April 27, 2010 | 1:23 PM
Sierra Leone has launched a free healthcare plan for pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers and children under five years old.
The system is aimed at curbing the country’s high maternal and child death rates.
The free healthcare system in Sierra Leone is expected to save the lives of more than one million mothers and children, at an initial cost of 19 million pounds.
However, there is concern that the country lacks the resources and infrastructure to support the new programme.
The proposal to launch the programme had sparked a two-week-long strike in March by the country\'s public health workers.
They were worried that free care would result in more patients and longer working hours.
The dispute was settled when the government offered salary increases of between 200 and 500 per cent.