President Julius Maada Bio has disclosed that Cabinet has approved US$19.8 Million for the construction of a National Diagnostic and Radiotherapy Cancer Treatment Centre with modern facilities.
President Bio made the disclosure in his presidential address in Parliament yesterday on the occasion of the State Opening of the Third Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone.
According to the President, the approval of the US$19.8 Million was in line with his commitment to establish an ultra-modern diagnostic facility in Sierra Leone, adding that the construction of the centre “will sustainably reduce costs on our overseas medical expenditure and broaden access to more Sierra Leoneans.”
Meanwhile, many concerned Sierra Leoneans are baffled that the President made no mention of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s recorded recoveries of Le8.5 Billion which he dedicated last year to the construction of a National Diagnostic and Radiotherapy Cancer Treatment Centre.
A concerned citizen who preferred anonymity enquires: “The President should have explained to the nation whether or not the Le8.5 Billion he had earlier received from the ACC Commissioner which he dedicated to the construction of an ultra-modern health facility was part of the US$US$19.8 that has now been approved by Cabinet.”
He however expressed surprise that in his speech, President Bio failed to mention the particular amount he had dedicated to the construction of a National Diagnostic and Radiotherapy Cancer Treatment Centre, but only stated that: “In 2019, the Commission recorded recoveries of a total over Le11 billion.”
Theresa Thompson, a retired nursing sister, praised the President for his commitment in establishing such modern health facilities in the country so that citizens who cannot afford to travel broad can access them here with ease.
She too was also baffled as to why the President did not mention the initial amount of money he had earlier dedicated to the construction of the diagnostic centre.
Most who spoke to this medium demanded that the President explain whether the ACC’s recorded recoveries he dedicated to the construction of the diagnostic centre are part of the budget which Cabinet has approved.