By Jarrah Kawusu-Konte
President Ernest Bai Koroma has reiterated the need for paramount chiefs, section chiefs and religious leaders to redouble their efforts in the fight against the spreading Ebola virus disease. He made this call during a working visit to the Southern districts of Pujehun and Bonthe on Friday 14th November, 2014.
The president also encouraged the people of Bonthe and Pujehun to continue to register zero new infections as is the case right now and noted that one Ebola case in other parts of the country can create problems for both districts.
He entreated them to take all sick people to the holding centers and report any deaths to the appropriate authorities, saying that "our traditional practices must be put on hold for now until we defeat this disease that has no respect for age, sex, status or religion".
President Koroma also visited the newly constructed holding center in Pujehun and embarked on a conducted tour of the Government hospital in Mattru Jong.
The president then visited the north and held a town hall meeting at the Makeni City Council Hall. He also visiedt the Magbenteh Hospital and prior to that also travelled to Tonkolili district to inspect the Ebola Treatment Center at Matenneh being constructed by the British government. He will also hold a town hall meeting in Magburaka and afterwards visited the Magburaka Hospital.
The president is making these visits following the expiration of 21 days since he last visited those areas to admonish traditional and religious leaders to intensify their efforts to help contain the outbreak. These visits are follow ups on how much progress has been made since he visited three weeks ago.
Editor’s Note: Here is a documentary on Pujehun produced last year, many months before the Ebola outbreak, by popular television journalist Bakarr Conteh of Bacs Production:
Comments