By Ibrahim Siraju Bah, Freetown.
The Minister of Information and Communications Hon. Alhaji Alpha Kanu (first left in photo) has officially launched the Mathasaka Ebola Treatment Unit in Port Loko on Saturday 13th December, 2014 increasing the number of treatment centres in the district to three with a bed capacity of 203.
The edifice which was constructed by the British under the supervision of GOAL has received its first patient the following day (December 14th) and has the capacity to accommodate 100 Ebola infected patients and can also produce 300 laboratory results per day.
Whilst he was taken around the facility, the Minister noted that the centre is magnificent and equipped enough to speed up the process of releasing laboratory results of patients in order to quickly distinguish those that are infected with the virus from those that are sick of other diseases.
The Honourable Minister observed that the district is fully ready to rid the virus of its perimeters due to the increasing number of treatment centres, whose capacity can accommodate over 200 patients including holding centres in the district.
He underscored the need for suspected cases to be taken out of their communities into holding centres to keep the communities safe, noting that the Chiefs are crucial in that regard and encouraged them to search for the sick in their respective communities and bring them to the holding centres where they could be treated as they await their laboratory results.
He said with the increasing number of holding and treatment centres in the district the people should no longer allow the virus to hold them to ransom adding that by the end of December the virus should have been defeated.
The District Medical Officer Dr. Adikali Alpha Kamara noted that the Mathasaka Ebola Treatment Unit is a milestone in the fight against the virus in the district and assured GOAL, who will be in charge of the centre, of their fullest support. He promised there is going to be a collaborative effort to ensuring that the common goal of eliminating the virus is achieved.
The Director for the Ebola Case Management Committee, Dr. Wurie said due to the construction of the centre, patients in the district now have far better chances to survive the virus if they report for treatment as early as possible. He disclosed that monitoring gadgets will be installed to monitor patients from the green zone and will further ensure that only staff with PPEs will be allowed to enter the red zone in order to maximize staff safety.
GOAL Senior Manager and Project Director for Ebola Treatment Centre, Fiona Gannon (first right in photo) congratulated the Minister and people of Port Loko for their efforts in supporting the construction saying that the completion of the edifice is a tribute to the Minister and his family for his untiring efforts in supporting the construction since it started.
She applauded every stakeholder of the district for their role in the work.
The manager for the Mathasaka Ebola Treatment Centre, Emmanuel Yambasu applauded the Minister and other stakeholders in the district for their relentless efforts in making the construction of the center a reality. He said the Minister has been following their work since the construction started and commended him for that. He also expressed his regards for the members of the community whom he said have not in any way hindered their work since the construction started.
In another engagement, the Minister of Information and Communications has facilitated the immediate opening of the Gbanelul Holding Centre in the Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom with a 16- bed capacity whilst on a working visit to the holding centres in the Lokumsama and Kaffu Bullom chiefdoms over the weekend.
The Minister intervened when the Paramount Chief of the Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom Bai Sheboro Sheba Gbre the Third informed him that the Sumbuya holding centre is currently overflowing with 42 patients whilst its capacity can only admit 38.
Upon the advice of the Paramount Chief, the Minister immediately instructed the District Medical Officer to take immediate action for the transfer of some of the patients to the Gbanelul Holding Centre that was not in use at the time.
The Paramount Chief also informed the Minister about his decision to temporarily withdraw the staff of the section Chief of Mayaya village for allowing people to breach the bye laws created to enhance the fight against the Ebola Virus. He said most of the cases in his chiefdom are coming from that par of the area because the chief allows people to cross in from Menika in the Lokumsama Chiefdom to his village of Mayaya in the Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom.
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