![\"Pikin](\"http:\/\/www.bmj.com\/columns\/icons\/pikin_hospital.jpg\")
Yesterday was Independence Day in Sierra Leone, marking the start of the country\u2019s fiftieth year since independence.\u00a0It was also the launch of the President\u2019s free health care initiative for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under 5.\n\u00a0
\nI previously shared with you my frustrations and grumbles as we got ready for the launch, specifically about problems with the allocation of drugs.
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\nIn the bigger picture, this is a really bold and important step by the President and by Sierra Leone as a whole.
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\nMaking health services accessible to those patients who need them most is a key weapon in the fight to reduce maternal and child mortality.
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\nThere have been nothing less than heroic efforts by the Ministry of Health and its funders and partners, who have been busting a gut for months to make this dream a reality.
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\nThe launch itself was held at our twin hospital, the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital and afterwards the President made a short tour of the two hospitals, visiting the therapeutic feeding centre, where malnourished children are cared for.
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\nA huge throng of mothers, babies on their backs, had been queuing outside the Children\u2019s Hospital since very early in the morning.\u00a0Crowd control has been a bit of a challenge, but everyone pitched in with staff and volunteers making sweeps through the crowd to pick out emergency cases.
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\nOn Independence Day itself, we saw around 350 patients, around eight times our usual number of patients.\u00a0 There were a similar number today (Wednesday).\u00a0 All the doctors were working flat out in the outpatient department, apart from one in the emergency room and one in the neonatal unit.\u00a0 The wards are full to bursting \u2013 three-in-a-bed is now quite widespread. \u00a0The drug supply problem is being taken seriously and we are expecting a quick re-supply, as many useful outpatient drugs have now run out.
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\nFingers crossed that the outpatient numbers will calm down fairly soon, as is expected.\u00a0 I’ll let you know how it goes.<\/p>\n