World Vision rescue diarrhoea victims in Pujehun
9 year old Bintu Bangura of Sulima village could have died in her mother’s lap after she was hit by acute diarrhoea and vomiting, but the swift and timely intervention of World Vision Sierra Leone medical kits helped save her life and that of many others patients. (Photo: A nurse administering diarrhoea treatment to patients lying on benches at the Sulima Health post with support from World Vision Sierra Leone)
Bintu looked weak, pale, dizzy, and unconscious due to hydration, just after vomiting for the sixth and defecating the tenth time in less than two hours, an emergency response had arrived on a World Vision land cruiser at Sulima village.
Upon the arrival of the medical kits Bintu was hastily rescued from the grunting pains in her stomach under a tree, because there was no space left at the clinic, she immediately stopped vomiting and defecating what seemingly looked like mere water with a bad aroma.
The road leading to Sorogbema Chiefdom is deplorable and it also involves crossing the contaminated river Moa by an unsafe and corrugated manual ferry.
In a swift intervention to tackle the recent outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting in the Sorogbema Chiefdom Pujehun District, World Vision Sierra Leone has provided emergency medical kits to health workers to treat patients and to also avert the spread of the disease.
Acute diarrhoea and vomiting has claimed the lives of many people among them several children, youths and adults due to the use of a contaminated river and poor sanitation.
Health workers say the outbreak is caused by inadequate water and sanitation and public toilets for an estimated population of about 38000 in the chiefdom, as a result most people rely on river Moa which flows with the contamination.
Health workers and Stakeholders receiving an emergency medical kits for diarrhoea treatment in Pujehun donated by World Vision Sierra Leone with funding from World Vision Korea
Community Health Officer at Fairo Moses M Tucker said most sources of water in remote villages are unsafe as most of the rivers and streams are used for bathing, washing, and defecation and at the same time for drinking purposes, coupled with poor sanitary environment.
CHO Tucker said Sorogbema Chiefdom is among the least developed chiefdoms in the country lacking several social amenities and the intervention of World Vision Sierra Leone with an Area Development Programme (ADP) is laudable.
He also said that, most of the health posts in the chiefdom lack the capacity to respond to an emergency situation of such an outbreak of disease.
According to Samuel Parker the Programme Manager of World Vision Sierra Leone at the Sorogbema Chiefdom ADP, which was established few years ago said the emergency response to the acute diarrhoea outbreak was funded by World Vision Korea.
While handing over the medical items which included diarrhea kits and life saving drugs, Parker said the medicines was procured in consultation with the District Health Management Team (DHMT) of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the Pujehun District Local Council.
He implored the health workers to be steadfast in health care delivery in a bid to save vulnerable lives and encouraged them to utilize the donation for its intended purpose.
The Programme Manager said World Vision Sierra Leone is concerned about the welfare of the people and will do everything possible to assist in such an emergency situation.
World Vision is the latest NGO to intervene in the area of emergency response to the diarrhoea outbreak in the Sorogbema Chiefdom Pujehun District.
Receiving the donation the Community Health Officer covering both Fairo and Sulima Moses Tucker expressed thanks and appreciation to world vision Sierra Leon and Korea for their swift intervention to the outbreak and also appealed to others to emulate the good example.
He said children and the aged are the most vulnerable in such an outbreak as there are more precarious situations in remote areas but assured World Vision of judicious use of the medical items to save lives and avert the spread of the disease.
The Section Chief at fairo Abdulrahm Zoker said they only have four water wells and lesser toilets in the chiefdom he concluded by appealing to government and NGO’s for more assistance.
Health workers, patients and stakeholders in the communities expressed gratitude to World Vision Sierra Leone for the timely intervention, and assured that the drugs and diarrhea kits will be used for its intended purpose as all stakeholders will monitor the process.
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