Journalist dies of Ebola in Sierra Leone
Kailahun, June 16 (SLENA) – Sources close to the Ebola treatment centre in Daru, Jawei Chiefdom, Kailahun district have disclosed that so far there are 34 recorded cases of Ebola casualties in the district – 33 in Daru town and one in Koindu.
These included the wife of the paramount chief of Jawei Chiefdom, a nine year old school pupil, a school teacher and a journalist reporting for the Kenema based Eastern Radio, Mohamed Mualim Sheriff.
SLENA sources say the journalist who is also a Muslim cleric had visited the home of one of the ebola victims in Daru to offer prayers for the corpse before burial, little knowing that any physical contact with the disease would pay a price for it.
Since the outbreak of the disease in Sierra Leone a little over a month ago, only two chiefdoms in the Kailahun district have been affected so far – Jawei and Kissi Tongi Chiefdoms.
The highest casualty rate, according to chiefdom authorities, is in Jawei where four villages including Daru town, the chiefdom headquarter, have so far suffered from Ebola.
Medical sources say there are yet no reports from other major towns in the district, such as the district headquarter town of Kailahun, Pendembu, Segbwema and others.
Speaking to the Sierra Leone News Agency over the week end, a chiefdom elder said since the medical team Medicines Sans Frontier (MSF) and other medical NGOs arrived in Daru, fewer cases of Ebola have been reported.
“In fact, since the death of the wife of our paramount chief, Chief Ugumbu Klah Kallon on 9th June we have not received report of another Ebola victim,” Foday Kallon, the junior brother of the paramount chief told SLENA in an informal chat.
“The situation is gradually being brought under control ever since MSF team moved into Daru,” he reaffirmed.
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