Sierra Leone health delegation visits India to bolster hospital equipment capacity

A high-level delegation from Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health is conducting a five-day official visit to Chandigarh, India, to strengthen the nation’s hospital equipment systems and biomedical engineering capacity. Led by Ibrahim Foday-Musa, Director of Hospital and Ambulance Services, the mission aligns with the National Hospital Strategy to improve the management, functionality, and sustainability of medical equipment in public health facilities.

The delegation, which includes officials from the National Medical Supplies Agency (NMSA) and JSS Medical Distributors (SL), visited Allengers Medical Systems Limited to perform factory acceptance tests. The visit focused on evaluating manufacturing quality, quality-control processes, and operational standards for diagnostic and imaging equipment before potential deployment in Sierra Leone.

Discussions also addressed critical technical needs, including equipment maintenance, spare-parts availability, and lifecycle management to reduce downtime in hospitals. Furthermore, the Ministry is exploring partnerships to enhance biomedical engineering training, aiming to build local technical expertise and ensure the continuous professional development of Sierra Leonean personnel.