Ministry of Health convenes National Validation Meeting for Sierra Leone’s First National Hospital Strategy.

The Ministry of Health today convened a high-level Validation Meeting to finalise Sierra Leone’s first-ever National Hospital Strategy, a landmark initiative set to redefine hospital service delivery and strengthen the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

Held in Freetown, the meeting brought together key stakeholders, including senior government officials, healthcare professionals, development partners, civil society actors, and members of the media. The collaborative forum aimed to ensure that the new strategy is context-specific, inclusive, and responsive to the evolving health needs of the population.

Delivering the keynote address, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sartie Kenneh described the National Hospital Strategy as a transformative framework that will modernise the country’s hospital services. He noted that the strategy adopts a “life stages” approach to healthcare delivery—emphasising comprehensive and continuous care from infancy through old age, rather than focusing solely on disease-based interventions.

“This strategy is about rethinking how our hospitals operate and how care is delivered to every Sierra Leonean at every stage of life,” Dr. Kenneh said. “It signals our commitment to equity, quality, and sustainability in hospital services across the country.”

Participants at the meeting reviewed key components of the strategy and provided technical and policy-level inputs to ensure alignment with national priorities and global best practices. The validation process is considered a crucial step toward achieving universal health coverage and enhancing health outcomes nationwide.

Once finalised and implemented, the National Hospital Strategy is expected to guide infrastructure development, human resource planning, service delivery models, and accountability mechanisms across Sierra Leone’s hospital network.

The Ministry of Health reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with all partners to implement the strategy and enhance the hospital system as a vital pillar of the country’s health sector reform.