Addressing Ministers of Government, Development Partners, Staff of the Hospital, and guests of the occasion, president Bio spoke about the importance of investing in mental healthcare.

Previous speakers have outlined the two hundred-year history of this institution, its extensive challenges, the nature and impact of partnerships, the recent close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, and the possibilities and opportunities for us all to continue working to transform the delivery of mental health services in this country.

We made our commitment against the background of decades of neglect of mental health care and the premier psychiatric hospital in the country.

My expectations after all are two-fold: firstly, to ensure that we have an effective, accountable, and well-monitored quality mental healthcare service that is affordable and accessible for every Sierra Leonean who needs it; and, secondly, to fully engage all stakeholders from institutions, partners, the private sector, to communities to work collaboratively on the mental health burden in Sierra Leone.

So, let me conclude with a firm commitment to ensuring, through legislation, policies, and the interventions proposed here today, that my Government will continue to work on providing quality mental healthcare services throughout Sierra Leone.