The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Charles Senessie, has raised concern Sierra Leone may lose the opportunity to have a $24 million prosthetics project sited at the National Rehabilitation Centre sited in Murray Town because of encroachment on a piece of land earmarked for it.

Dr. Senessie raised this alarm in Freetown last week and appealed to encroachers to vacate the encroached premises in order to allow for the construction of the prosthetics center. He emphasized the importance of the project being funded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He informed that the equipment for the center is already on its way to Freetown. He stated that the project would also provide training for Sierra Leonean medical professionals and pleaded with encroachers to leave the area.

Andrew Sorie, Senior Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, explaining further said that the center would represent hope for amputees who are currently grappling with access to rehabilitation services in Sierra Leone. He called on the community, businesses, and others who have encroached upon the land to show empathy towards individuals with lost limbs.

Project Officer Dr. Ishmael Kebbie noted that the new center would offer services such as physiotherapy and orthotics. He pointed out that the area surrounding the existing smaller rehabilitation center has been heavily encroached upon. In 2023, MIT signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Health to provide prosthetic services in Sierra Leone, and MIT has previously equipped and trained Sierra Leonean medical personnel. Dr. Kebbie expressed their request for MIT's assistance with infrastructure, emphasizing their goal of reducing the number of amputees begging on the streets by creating a supportive environment.

He added that they had previously engaged with stakeholders from various sectors and the local community in Murray Town, where the encroachers assured them they would vacate the encroached area. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mustapha Kabba confirmed that funds for the project have been secured. However, he warned that the project would not be realized if the land is not vacated for the construction of the new facility. Dr. Kabba described the project as a significant technological advancement for the country, aiming to provide essential services for people who have lost their limbs.