From Deputy Chief of Mission Kathleen FitzGibbon November 14, 2014 This week, we have been discussing the importance of safe burials. I want to note that many things about safe, medical burials have changed since the beginning of the epidemic in response to family concerns and general resistance to medical burials. Today, the procedures for dignified, safe, medical burials include families. A colleague who lost his mother relayed the following about his experience. The Ministry of Health and Sanitation worked with the family on the burial arrangements. Her body was handled only by the burial team and was swabbed for Ebola testing. In the meantime, the family selected a coffin. They were present with a religious leader at Kingtom for the burial where they stood at a safe distance. She is buried in grave with a marker. The family is purchasing a permanent marker which the burial team agreed to place on her grave. She did not die of Ebola, but the family accepted the importance of adjusting the burial procedures given the Ebola emergency. This scene is repeated many times daily. If you lose a loved one during this period, whether or not to Ebola, you can work with the burial teams to be present. Following safe medical procedures will save your family. It is important for all burials to take place as quickly as possible. Currently, there are a total of 88 burial teams in the country. They are overseen by the International Red Cross, CAFOD, World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, and the MOHS. These workers are people, too, and will do what they can to assist bereaved families to ensure that their loved ones are buried with dignity. I want to address the issue of reporting statistics. We are only reporting confirmed cases. There also are probable and suspect cases that are still waiting for test results. We do not include these until confirmed. With the effectiveness of the burial teams, a large number of tests are waiting for results for the deceased. Many outcomes are not known yet as patients are in holding units struggling to defeat the disease. As the tests are confirmed positive or negative, the MOHS updates the statistics. This is why the numbers do not appear to add up. We are not trying to manipulate the case numbers. We strive to give you the best available information. I hope that you think that our new Public Service Announcement was useful. It was conceived and organized by our Public Affairs Section within the Mission. We hope that it can reach the quarter of a million views that “Ebola 4 Go” has so far. Please continue to learn from and share both as a means to help prevent Ebola!
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 20:27:43 +0000
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