The Government of Sierra Leone has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing $4,323,593.63 to restart construction on three long‑abandoned hospitals and a new oxygen production facility—projects stalled for years after the collapse of Kuwait Fund financing.

The agreement, signed at the Ministry of Finance in Freetown, brings together the Ministries of Finance and Health, consultancy firm IDEAS Limited, and four construction companies: Cubic Construction, Fajaha International, Hariss Construction, and Nimo Construction and Trading Enterprises.

The stalled facilities—Lumley Government Hospital, Macauley Street Government Hospital, Waterloo Government Hospital, and the Kerry Town Oxygen Plant—are already 80–90% complete, according to Minister of Finance Sheku Ahmed Bangura. He challenged contractors to meet the new delivery timelines, pledging timely fund disbursement under the revised financing arrangement.

Financial Secretary Matthew Dingie described the deal as a “fiscal necessity,” noting that traditional funding avenues had been exhausted. He said the government negotiated an “alternative, innovative” financing structure directly with contractors and the consultant, allowing the MOU to establish the exact funds required to complete both original and approved additional works.

Minister of Health Dr. Austin Demby stressed the urgency of expanding hospital capacity as the Western Area’s population continues to surge. He said the ministry is already preparing staff, equipment, and supplies to ensure the facilities become operational immediately upon handover, avoiding delays that have plagued past infrastructure projects.

Under the new arrangement, the four construction firms are now responsible for completing all remaining works—an effort that effectively replaces the defunct Kuwaiti financing model with a domestically negotiated, cash‑disciplined framework aimed at finally delivering the long‑awaited health facilities.