Ebola spreading in Western Area, Bo & Port Loko – Miatta Kargbo miatta kargboMinister of Health and Sanitation, Miatta Kargbo yesterday disclosed to the leadership of Parliament that while Kailahun district is recording downward trend in the Ebola virus cases, the Western Area, Bo and Port Loko districts are recording high cases of the Ebola virus in the country. She was speaking at an emergency meeting summoned by the leadership of the House of Parliament at Committee Room No. 1. The Minister accompanied by senior health officials, unraveled government’s latest strategy in the fight against the Ebola menace. While establishing the fact that Kenema district remains the most Ebola ravaged spot so far, the Minister noted that Western Area (Urban), Port Loko and Bo have lately emerged as places that require government’s close attention as confirmed cases continue to rise. She informed the House that as of 12th August, 24 cases have been confirmed in Port Loko, 22 in Bo, 12 in Western Area (Urban) and 7 in Bombali adding that as of Wednesday, 13th August, 14 new cases have been confirmed in the Western Area (Urban), 2 in Port Loko and 12 in Bo. She revealed further that as of 12th August, confirmed laboratory cases have risen to 717 nationwide with 264 deaths. She said that 193 have so far survived and that 94 admission cases are being reported in both Kenema and Kailahun combined. She said that Kenema reported 15 new cases while Kailahun recorded nil. She pointed out that Koinadugu district remains the only district in the country with no record of the presence of the virus. The Health Minister pointed out that the effort at containing the virus in Port Loko is facing serious challenge as health personnel face strong resistance from the local people. She noted that such behaviors are impeding progress in the district in the Ebola fight. She said that the wave of denial still looms in Port Loko for which reason military personnel have been deployed alongside health personnel to enhance the fight against the virus in the district. The Minister asserted that Western Area has started catching the wave of the virus because of its population density and the mass exodus of people from infected areas. In a bid to restrict the movement of people suspected to be carrying the Ebola virus, the Health Minister reported that moves are underway by government to construct additional Treatment Centers in Western Area and North province. She said that Lakka has been suggested to tentatively host the laboratory equipment from South Africa prior to their ultimate transfer to Kerry Town the location for the proposed Treatment Center for the Western Area (Urban). The other treatment center for the north, according to the Minister, will be located between Bombali and Port Loko Districts in a bid to facilitate movement of patients from one community to the other. She said that these measures are speedily being implemented o mitigate the overflow at the Kenema facility. The Minister of Defence, Alfred P. Conteh told MPs that following the declaration of a State of Emergency, the Ministry trained and deployed a total of 1,501 personnel to the epicenters and other strategic locations to augment security and enhance containment efforts. However, the Minister indicated, the soldiers are being entreated to treat people humanely and not to exhibit their normal militant characteristics in the discharge of duties. The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Frank Kargbo said that in an effort to strengthen rules and regulations guiding the containment of the disease, his office has drafted a Public Emergency Regulation that will soon be tabled in the House for approval. Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and Communication, Alpha Kanu has in no uncertain terms stated that he will use relevant provisions in that regulation, when adopted, to clamp down on certain sections of the media for relaying falsehoods and misinformation about the Ebola outbreak. The Minority Leader of Parliament in her contribution pointed out that there is a concerted move by stakeholders in Kenema District to contain the disease, despite major lapses in the supply of necessary equipment to frontline health workers. She also expressed health workers’ state of displeasure with the low level of motivation, especially in the area of remuneration provided for them compared to the level of sacrifice they are making.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 11:08:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015