Sierra Leone's health service has recently been described as "stretched far beyond capability". Many of the senior doctors had succumbed to Ebola and junior doctors were on strike. Forty out of 60 students at the University of Sierra Leone's Provost of the College of Pharmacology, Medicine and Allied Health Sciences were forced to abandon their studies last year after they ran out of money. This fund will help medical student complete their studies.
Few of the current students are able to complete their course through running out of funds. Only 20 of last year's 60 students qualified. There are fewer than 200 public doctors in the whole of Sierra Leone; a Ministry Official said 130. Many too are in administrative roles. It has population of 6.6M, similar to Scotland. There are significant problems with the choice of medical student with respect to gender (currently 70:30 Male:Female), geographical representation and patronage is common
By covering (or part covering) the cost of tutition fees for medical students in Sierra Leone, it is hoped that the more doctors will become qualified and gain the skills they need to strengthen the wider health service.
The health service will be improved by more skilled professionals able to tackle disease outbreaks and longer term health conditions in a skillful way.
