Photo of Plantain Island Health Centre - PC: facility’s Nurse
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Claim: A video posted by Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, Opposition Chief Whip of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, shows a health centre in Kargboro Chiefdom, Moyamba District, in poor condition.
Verdict: True: The video is authentic and was recorded at the Plantain Island Health Centre in Kargboro Chiefdom, Moyamba District, as claimed.
Full Text
On Facebook, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, Opposition Chief Whip of Sierra Leone’s Parliament, shared a video that appears to show a health facility in poor condition.
In the video, rainwater can be seen pouring through the roof and collecting in an open plastic bowl placed on a bed. Other plastic buckets are also placed on the bed to collect the water. A voice in the video says in Krio Language: “Are you seeing it? It is raining right now. This leakage is happening on the postnatal bed. Everywhere is leaking. This is the labour ward.” The video further shows standing water covering parts of the floor.
The post generated significant engagement on Facebook and was also circulated on WhatsApp. As of 19 August 2026, the video on Kamara’s Facebook page had received about 6,500 views, 259 reactions, 81 comments and 13 shares.
Some commenters questioned the exact location of the facility, with one asking which village in Kargboro Chiefdom was shown in the video.
It’s important to look into this claim because some social media users questioned the facility’s exact location and whether the video was accurately attributed to it. Also, the claim concerns the condition of a public health facility serving a rural community and could influence public perceptions or prompt calls for government intervention.
Verification
To verify the MP’s post, DUBAWA reached out to two people from Kargboro Chiefdom, Chernor La Bamba Mansaray and Augustus T Stevens. Both identified the facility as the Plantain Island Health Centre in Moyamba District, Southern Sierra Leone.
Subsequently, we contacted a health worker at the health centre who said they had worked there for almost two years. The health worker provided two videos (archived here and here) of the facility to confirm the condition. One of the videos was the same footage Hon. Kamara had posted, providing further evidence that it was recorded at the facility. They also shared several photos of the facility.
In a phone interview, the health worker said sometimes they have to move patients to another part of the facility when it rains due to the leakage. “When there is a patient and it is raining, we have to shift to another corner. It is really not easy,” the health worker said.
The health worker further confirmed that the leaking roof was not the only problem facing the facility. “Apart from the leakage, there are other challenges. Even the delivery bed has an issue. It is no longer in good condition,” they said.
The other video supplied by the health worker shows additional signs of deterioration at the facility. It shows broken window glass, with some sections of the windows appearing to have been covered with cardboard and plastic. The roof and ceiling also look old and damaged. Cracks are also visible on some parts of the building.
About Plantain Island
Plantain Island is a historic island off Sierra Leone’s southern coast, in the Sherbro/Kargboro area of Moyamba District.
The island has historical significance because it was associated with European trade and the transatlantic slave trade during the 17th and 18th centuries. It is also associated with Captain John Plantain and the influential Caulker family.
Plantain Island is further linked to John Newton, the English slave trader who later became an Anglican clergyman and abolitionist. Historical records identify remains associated with his house and slave barracoons on the island, which were declared a national monument in 1949.
Today, Plantain Island is a fishing community and remains an important site in Sierra Leone’s historical heritage.
Conclusion
Evidence gathered confirms that the video posted by Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara shows the Plantain Island Health Centre in Kargboro Chiefdom, Moyamba District. A health worker at the facility confirmed the video’s authenticity and said the conditions shown remain the same.
This report was produced under the 2026 Kwame Karikari Fact-checking and OSINT Fellowship, co-hosted by DUBAWA and the Digital Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Information Disorder Analysis Centre (DAIDAC), with support from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
