Sierra Leone not long ago still chained mental health patients. A transformation is underway

Abdul Jalloh was the only practicing psychiatrist in Sierra Leone when he took over the country’s sole psychiatric hospital on the outskirts of the capital. Now six years later, the young doctor is leading a transformation of mental health services in the West African nation. He abolished the practice of chaining patients to their beds, and has worked hard to attract new talent with the help of a U.S.-based nonprofit that has invested millions with Sierra Leone’s government. But there is little professional medical help for those living in the rest of the country beyond Freetown.