Taking the Ebola Fight to the bus scenario A bus is moving with passengers on board. The bus suddenly stops and the engine goes off. The driver calls on all of the passengers to join efforts together in getting the bus started. In an effort to get the bus fixed, the passengers are asked to get off and wash the bus, add air to the already inflated tires. The driver, after trying several times to kick start the bus, without it starting, asks passengers in the back seat, just over the exhaust, to remain where they are and not to get off the bus which is already getting hot because of the lack of ventilation. The passengers in the back seat grow uneasy and try to make their way out. Conductors try to contain the passengers. Now without getting a mechanic to check and see what’s wrong with the bus, are all these efforts necessary? The answer is NO!! How does this relate to the Ebola fight? The bus, driver, passengers and conductors represent Liberia, President, citizens and security forces respectively. The citizens have been asked to join in the fight against the Ebola virus. Yes indeed citizens have their own roles but I think this fight is against an unknown enemy, which is very difficult. The first step in the fight is to identify the enemy. To do this, the government needs to create as many testing centers as possible around the country. As we speak, there is only one testing center in the entire country. Today, people are dying from other curable sicknesses all in the name of Ebola. Pregnant women are dying during delivery simply because health care workers are afraid to come in contact with them. Because of this problem, you will agree with me that a good number of the deaths that have been branded as “Ebola deaths” are as a result of other common curable sicknesses around here. If the Ebola test is readily available in all of the hospitals, the fear of treating patients will greatly reduce amongst health workers. If someone falls sick or is showing the symptom, the person can first be tested to rule out the Ebola possibility and then subsequently treated for other sickness if the Ebola test proves negative. Recommendations Assistance sort from the International Community should be for more testing, treatment and protective equipment. Government should create testing centers in all medical centers and purchase more ambulances to convey sick people to health centers. Citizens should move away from the state of denial and believe that Ebola is real and is here in Liberia. They should abide by all of the preventive measures put in place by the government. Health workers should be provided with sufficient protective gears as they render health care services to patients
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 21:20:37 +0000