$4.3M Secured to Fast-Track Tertiary Hospitals and Kerry Town Medical City Plan

The Government of Sierra Leone has secured $4.3 million in new funding aimed at accelerating the completion of three major tertiary hospitals and advancing plans for a modern medical hub in Kerry Town.

The funding, facilitated through the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health, will support the completion of the Lumley Government Hospital, Macauley Street Hospital, and Waterloo Government Hospital. It will also finance the construction of an oxygen production facility at Kerry Town, a development considered critical to strengthening emergency and critical care services nationwide.

The agreement was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between government officials, construction companies, and supervisory consultants, marking what authorities describe as a renewed push for efficiency, accountability, and timely delivery of health infrastructure projects.

Finance Minister Sheku Fantamadi Bangura and Health Minister Austin Demby underscored the need to ensure that all projects are completed before the end of the year, stressing that delays in health infrastructure have long impacted service delivery across the country.

The agreement also includes plans for a perimeter fence around the vast Kerry Town site, which has been designated for the development of a future “Medical City” expected to transform specialized healthcare delivery in Sierra Leone.

According to the Ministry of Health, the proposed Medical City will feature a modern referral hospital, Sierra Leone’s first cancer diagnostic centre equipped with advanced technology provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and a pharmaceutical-grade warehouse supported by the Government of Sierra Leone in partnership with the Global Fund and World Vision.

Health Minister Dr. Austin Demby described the initiative as a key part of a long-term transformation agenda aimed at reducing the need for medical travel abroad and strengthening the country’s capacity to manage complex health conditions locally. He said the project represents “a turning point in how Sierra Leone delivers specialised healthcare services.”

Finance Minister Sheku Fantamadi Bangura emphasized that government investment must translate into visible, practical improvements, noting that inefficiencies and delays in the health sector have historically undermined service delivery.

For many citizens, the announcement brings renewed hope in a health system often strained by limited infrastructure, diagnostic gaps, and shortages of essential services. Health workers and observers have particularly highlighted the inclusion of oxygen production capacity as a crucial improvement, especially in light of vulnerabilities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As implementation begins under the signed agreement, attention now turns to whether the ambitious health infrastructure programme will meet its tight deadlines and deliver long-promised improvements in care delivery.

If successfully executed, the initiative is expected to represent one of the most significant transformations of Sierra Leone’s healthcare system in decades, shifting it toward a more modern, integrated, and capable medical network.