Ebola – A National Disaster
Ebola, like the eleven year rebel war, is a national disaster that requires the cooperation of the entire country in order to kick this menace out of Sierra Leone.
I am comparing Ebola to the rebel war because both have the same tendency of destroying the most valuable human resources of the nation. Secondly both descend on the country over night. The rebel war started in Bomaru in March 1991 and in less than six months spread its roots in most of the border districts.
Ebola which was confirmed on Sunday 25th May this year is now present in Kialahun, Kenema, Kono, Freetown and now Bo and Koinadugu in less than two weeks. Officially the Minister of MOHS has confirmed 36 suspected cases, 15 confirmed having the virus and 5 are already dead.
Sierra Leoneans need to view Ebola as a non political scourge which does not see colour, tribe or region. Before the advent of Ebola the ministry made a lot of bluff about sensitizing communities in the country.
I personally spoke to a senior staff nurse at the Connaught, Freetown who said she does not believe in the existence of Ebola in Sierra Leone. If a senior nurse of that stature could utter such an unfortunate statement then I have every reason to believe that the so much talked about sensitization was never proper. This unfortunate statement from a senior medical practitioner tells me that the ministry needs to properly educate its staff before confronting the general populace.
“It is a wise saying that if Guinea sneezes today Sierra Leone and Liberia will catch cold tomorrow.” Sierra Leoneans had seen the signs of Ebola on the wall that this scourge was on the move but the sensitization was not enough as evidenced from the health workers themselves.
Imagine school pupils running away helter skelter into the bushes at Kialahun just because in addressing the school the name Ebola was mentioned. The pupils took to their heels because they thought they were going to be sprayed.
This sensitization should have been done before the advent of the disease, but with the menace terrorizing us now, different communities have developed different perceptions about the disease which is making it very difficult to address.
In conclusion, I am therefore urging all religious bodies to organize a national prayer because there is a name bigger and higher than Ebola, HIV and the likes.
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