Popular Misconception About Ebola. By S.U. Thoronka The word misconception can be described as a belief or an idea that is not based on correct information, or that is not understood by people. This definition by extension has undoubtedly raised some amount of suspicion on the reality of Ebola to an extent that some people believe that the disease is a myth, that is to say, it does not exist or is real. Some people are of the opinion that sensitization on the Ebola epidemic at the initial stage was not properly done by the authorities. As a result the people in the East of the country where the disease was first discovered either misunderstood or were out rightly misinformed. In a bid to change the dynamics the political head in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation was later replaced for obvious reasons. The Ministry of Health and Sanitation personnel in their sensitization drive told the people that Ebola is incurable but anyone who experiences high fever, rash, vomiting, severe headache, bleeding should report to the nearest hospital or Health Centre. But whether the information was based on laboratory analysis by our local medical personnel or dictated to them by foreign scientists on their experience in Congo is anybody’s guess. The lay man, having been told that the disease has no cure would definitely not border to go to the hospital; instead he/she will apparently resort to the services of a quack or herbalist. Coupled with the denial that Ebola is not real had perhaps led to the death of so many people including medical personnel. Could it be that the authorities decided to disseminate such information in order to hide their ignorance in tackling the Ebola outbreak? Not because they were taken off guard but equally so because they were ill-prepared as personal protective equipment were also not available. And since the disease can be transmitted through body contact a lot of medical personnel and innocent people got infected and died. In addition, certain politicians who vehemently denied the prevalence of the disease in our country although the symptoms vary from that of the Democratic Republic of Congo, are those who are strenuously trying to score political marks. While some agreed that Ebola is real because they wanted to make fortune out of the generous donations and others because they are realistic and compassionate. Comparatively the last set which includes His Excellency the President Dr. Ernst Bai Koroma are fewer in number. Another baffling statement was that Ebola according to our experts is transmitted by the consumption of bats, monkeys and bush meat. My question is why all along the people of Kailahun and Kenema did not contact the disease by eating the aforementioned, until when one of our compatriots travelled from Kailahun to the Republic of Guinea to attend to the funeral ceremony of an alleged Ebola victim? When the issue of HIV/AIDS came to the fore in the 80s scientists or doctors in America and the West cajoled the world into believing that the disease was discovered among monkeys in Black Africa South of the Sahara. Since then those who loved eating monkey meat were discouraged and or deprived. It now appears as if it is a crime to kill and eat monkey in Africa eventhough the information was later proven to be fallacious but regrettably no apologies to Africa. After Ebola what next? America and the West should be able to tell us how many dreadful diseases are monkeys in Africa capable of transmitting before the end of the century. They should be prepared to provide remedy for any eventuality. In making the statistical analysis, they should not lose sight of the stock pile of toxic waste in their backyard that has not been entirely disposed of and the threat it poses right from the beginning of the biological, chemical and nuclear competition to date. Patriotic Sierra Leoneans should agree that there is a common enemy that is trying to devastate our land. Either that enemy is Ebola, some poisonous chemicals or a group of local and foreign saboteurs combined. Since Ebola is the only identified enemy for now out of the three mentioned, it can be eradicated by simply abiding by the precautions. We should avoid body contact especially with people whose medical status is doubtful, and once that is done and positive results are achieved, all other investigations relating to the disbursement and utilization of donor funds would follow later. Disappointingly, myopic politicians who are trying to score political marks are very much interested in the disbursement and utilization of the Ebola funds, while they totally lose sight of the devastating effect of the disease on both the economy and the populace. Issues that need immediate attention by the authorities are those bordering on the use of poisonous chemicals to contaminate water wells in certain communities, those that are used to fumigate homes of alleged Ebola suspects and the medication administered on suspected patients before laboratory examination result. Attention should also be paid to the number of Ebola deaths which is very much alarming. It seems as if all deaths are now attributed to the Ebola disease, while there are people who die of cholera, typhoid fever, heart attack, diabetes, some die of natural death, etc. But because they lack the wherewithal to seek medical attention, when they eventually die in their various homes they are declared as Ebola deaths without laboratory verification thereby depriving the deceased from having a befitting burial. At the same time Ebola death toll is unnecessarily inflated. The content of this write up is the personal opinion of the writer, which does not represent in any shape or form the view of the Management and staff of the Global Times Newspaper.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 19:49:08 +0000
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