All Ebola deaths must be officially registered compulsorily: says Deputy Chief Registrar

Report from the Births and Deaths headquarters on Wilberforce Street in Freetown indicates that the institution is taking a robust intervention on Ebola death statistics, which is in line with President Koroma’s reminder about the record of every Ebola death case, from starting to the end of the outbreak. (Photo: Deputy Chief Registrar-Konie is concerned about Ebola death data)

Normally according to law, any type of death must be reported to the nearest Births and Deaths office across the country before burial. Instance of the mass killing of Sierra Leoneans during the brutal war; at or around the late rebel leader’s house-Foday Saybana Sankoh, some years ago, were never officially recorded or registered with the Births and Deaths, until when authentic records and figures about these deaths were badly needed by authorities concerned, it then turned out that no documentary evidence was available to show in the office, the Deputy Chief Births and Deaths Registrar, Mr. Richard B. Konie explained.

He schooled that deaths can be known to Births and Deaths authorities, but they cannot be officially registered or recorded in the absence of reliable and substantial details about the deceased. And to avoid these mishaps against future history and record, the Deputy Chief Registrar pursued that the institution now makes it a must to collectively work in partnership with front-line health workers for adequate registration and recording of Ebola death cases, which must at all cost be certified by a medical personnel. And for effective result, Mr. Konie admonished that reports are expected from Registrars across the country at the end of every month. The Deputy Registrar extended appeal to Municipal Council authorities and the Police to report abandoned or acclaimed deaths with supported details of the deceased.

Interestingly, the Deputy Chief Registrar recalled that since the outbreak, no single Ebola death case has so far been reported to the Western Area office for registration. He continued that the late Doctor Modupeh Cole was a resident of Freetown who, because was sick of Ebola and referred to the Treatment Center in Kailahun where he died, his death was certainly registered by the Births and Deaths office in Kailahun.

But as certain and constraint as the institution in terms of modern registration equipments such as computerization process, this means that for anytime Doctor Cole`s death certificate would be needed; it can be easily accessed from the Kailahun Births and Deaths division, the Registrar exhausted.

When asked about his failure to provide chlorine for the prevention of staff and visitors to the office from contracting the Ebola virus, the Deputy Chief Registrar was reluctant to respond, though he confirmed it true that they have not been supplied with chlorine by the Health Ministry, since the outbreak. He acknowledged that people usually travel from the provinces to obtain birth or death certificate from the office, which is possible for a virus carrier to unknowingly contract others or staff members during the process. “Indeed, we are very much concerned and worried about the un-preventive situation of staff and daily visitors to the office because, Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected persons”, the Registrar discharged.

Further asked about why they cannot provide chlorine by themselves to protect staff and the visiting public, Mr. Konie responded that as they, in the office deal with documents, all monetary affairs are handled by a representative of the National Revenue Authority, which means that, all payment must be made early to that NRA and accompanied by an affidavit, plus added questionnaire, before a certificate could be provided for an applicant.

Meanwhile, sources from the Port Loko Births and Deaths office say, the office has been operating without a single supply of chlorine from the Health Ministry to prevent staff and visitors to the office from contracting the virus during interaction. The source furthered that, workers and staff of Births and Deaths office in Port Look were lucky to benefit from tiny pinches (quantities) of chlorine offered by UNICEF in that part of the country.

The source added that the people and staff of births and Deaths in Port Loko are skeptical about what will the future hold as far as the virus is fast approaching Port Loko with high numbers of reported death cases.

By Alie Mozart Sesay

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