Freetown 31st March 2026- Orange Sierra Leone, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, has officially commissioned a Le1.8 million, ten-room health centre in Wai Community, Sorogbema Chiefdom, marking a significant milestone in efforts to improve access to quality healthcare in rural Sierra Leone.
The facility, inaugurated on March 28, 2026, is expected to transform healthcare delivery for Wai and its surrounding communities, where residents have long faced challenges in accessing essential medical services due to distance, limited infrastructure, and inadequate resources. It was officially inaugurated by the honourable Deputy Minister of Health 1, Dr. Charles Sennessie, and Orange Sierra Leone CEO, Aicha Toure, in the presence of the Paramount Chief and respected local traditional leaders.
Delivering the opening remarks at the ceremony, Corporate Social Responsibility Officer Mohamed Santos Bangura provided a detailed overview of the project, tracing its origins back to the groundbreaking ceremony held on April 17, 2025. He described the commissioning as a landmark achievement for Orange Sierra Leone, underscoring the company’s sustained commitment to driving impactful development initiatives across the country.
According to Bangura, the new health centre is designed to address critical gaps in rural healthcare delivery, particularly in maternal and child health. He emphasized that expanding access to life-saving services would play a vital role in reducing preventable illnesses and lowering maternal and child mortality rates in the district.
The Paramount Chief of Sorogbema Chiefdom, Mustapha Jeangay Massaquoi III, expressed profound appreciation to Orange Sierra Leone for what he described as a timely and transformative intervention. He assured stakeholders that the chiefdom would take full ownership of the facility, ensuring its proper maintenance and effective monitoring for the benefit of present and future generations.
Speaking at the commissioning, Orange Sierra Leone’s Chief Executive Officer, Madam Aicha Toure, reaffirmed the company’s dedication to community wellbeing and national development. She noted that the ten-room facility equipped with a labour ward and essential medical infrastructure was specifically designed to meet the urgent healthcare needs of Wai and neighbouring communities.
Madam Toure highlighted that the centre will provide a comprehensive range of services, including maternal and child healthcare, outpatient consultations, emergency care, and basic diagnostic services. She added that the initiative aligns with the Orange Foundation’s maternal mortality reduction programme, through which the facility will benefit from targeted interventions aimed at improving outcomes for expectant mothers.
In his keynote address, the Honourable Deputy Minister of Health 1, Charles Senesie, welcomed the initiative and commended Orange Sierra Leone for complementing government efforts to strengthen healthcare systems nationwide. He noted that the project aligns with the Ministry’s broader strategy to expand access to quality healthcare, particularly in underserved rural areas.
The honourable Deputy Minister Senesie further revealed that the former Wai Maternal and Child Health Post (MCHP) has now been upgraded to a fully equipped Community Health Centre (CHC), significantly enhancing its capacity to deliver essential services and save lives.
The ceremony also featured remarks from philanthropist Mr. Salim Feika, a key contributor to the project, who expressed appreciation to all partners involved, including the Ministry of Health, the District Health Management Team, and local authorities. As part of his support, Feika donated two large waste disposal containers, chairs, to improve sanitation management and a motorbike to aid emergency response capabilities at the facility.
He further called on stakeholders and development partners to support additional needs, including the construction of staff quarters, provision of an ambulance, and continued capacity building for healthcare workers to ensure efficient service delivery.
In his closing remarks, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Liberia, Eddie Sidikie Mansaray, urged residents of Wai and surrounding communities to take full ownership of the facility by utilizing its services and supporting healthcare workers in maintaining high standards of care.
The commissioning ceremony brought together government officials, traditional leaders, development partners, and community members. It concluded with the formal handover of the health centre to the Wai community and the people of Sorogbema Chiefdom.
Thanks to the support of Orange Sierra Leone through its foundation, the Wai Community Health Centre is expected to significantly improve access to quality healthcare and contribute meaningfully to ongoing national efforts to reduce mortality rates and strengthen public health outcomes in rural Sierra Leone.
