Residents of Mongo Chiefdom in Falaba District have been left without emergency ambulance services after the only ambulance serving the area was withdrawn due to deteriorating road conditions caused by heavy rains.
The development was confirmed by the Falaba District Medical Officer, Dr. Daniel Lavalie, who disclosed in a communication to health personnel that ambulance access to the chiefdom has been suspended because the road has become impassable.
“There is no ambulance available for Mongo at the moment as access has been obstructed by muddy road conditions,” Dr. Lavalie stated.
The situation has sparked concern among healthcare workers and residents, who fear that patients requiring urgent referrals could face life-threatening delays.
Mongo, one of the most remote chiefdoms in Sierra Leone, relies heavily on ambulance services for the evacuation of critical patients to the Kabala Government Hospital and other higher-level health facilities. The suspension of the service is expected to have serious consequences for pregnant women experiencing complications, children suffering from severe malaria and pneumonia, accident victims, and other emergency cases.
Health workers say families may now be forced to transport patients on motorbikes, in hammocks, or by foot through muddy and treacherous terrain, significantly increasing the risk of fatalities.
“An ambulance is the lifeline here. If a woman is bleeding after delivery in Mongo and the road is blocked, what do we do? Watch her die?” a community health worker lamented.
Residents noted that the problem is not new, describing it as a recurring challenge during the rainy season when roads become flooded and covered in thick mud, effectively isolating communities from the district headquarters.
They further complained that poor road infrastructure continues to hamper the delivery of essential services, including healthcare, while disrupting the movement of medical supplies and personnel.
The latest disruption has renewed calls for urgent intervention by the Falaba District Council, the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA), and the Ministry of Health.
Community members and civil society groups are advocating for immediate measures, including spot gravelling, construction of culverts, and the establishment of a dedicated maintenance programme for roads serving critical health facilities.
“This is an emergency. Government must treat roads to Mongo as health infrastructure, not just roads,” resident Mohamed Marah said.
As of press time, authorities had not announced how long the ambulance suspension would remain in effect or outlined alternative emergency transport arrangements for affected communities.
Meanwhile, residents are appealing to the Government and development partners to act swiftly to restore access before lives are lost due to delays in receiving urgent medical care.
For many in Mongo, the absence of an ambulance is more than a transport challenge; it is a stark reminder of the link between road infrastructure and access to lifesaving healthcare.
