Dr. Kaifala Marah gives relief to Neini Ebola victims
One of Koinadugu district’s outstanding sons, Dr. Kaifala Marah, Minister of Finance and Economic Development over the weekend presented relief items and drugs to the Paramount Chief of Neini chiefdom, Foday Umaru Jalloh III for distribution to quarantined homes throughout his chiefdom. The part of the food items and drugs donated by Dr, Kaifala Marah
The relief items which included bags of rice, bags of onions, containers of oil, cartons of sugar, bags of salt, cartons of tomato paste, cartons of Maggie, cartons of carbolic soap were meant specifically for the 184 quarantined homes in the eleven towns and villages in the Neini chiefdom. Additionally, Dr. Marah, giving his concern for the rapid convalescence of his brothers and sisters affected by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Neini, donated drugs and disinfectants including, cartons of immune boosters, cartons of antimalarial drugs, cartons of protective gloves, quantities of inferred thermometers and three drums of power chlorine to the holding and treatment centers in Kumala, the headquarter of Neini chiefdom.
Dr. Marah also concerned about the need to contain the virus within Neini chiefdom through an effective contact tracing mechanism, donated two brand new TVS motor bikes to facilitate the process. The bikes, fully registered and tanks full were already serviceable at the time of delivery.
Dr. Marah has made a number of interventions in Koinadugu district as a whole towards efforts aimed at forestalling entry of the EVD in the district by providing huge sums of money to the Koinadugu District Ebola Task Force for community social mobilization and education on ways to prevent against the virus infection.
“As stakeholders, we have been providing support to ensure that the virus does not rare its head in the district but since it has happened we still think we should be side by side with our people who have unfortunately become victims of this deadly virus,” Dr. Marah said, noting that the fight to contain the virus in Neini is a collective fight and should be the collective concern of every Koinaduguan.
Dr. Marah who made his first visit to Kumala town, the seat of the Paramount Chief, told his brothers and sisters that he has always being with them “in spirit” as the incident of the outbreak of the virus in the chiefdom was received “with shock and concern” noting that as stakeholders, they had fought tooth and nail to ensure that the virus was kept away from the district. He assured that together, they as district stakeholders, the District Health Medical Team, government and international partners, “will work assiduously through the grace of God, to contain and limit the spread of the virus to the chiefdom and to ensure the speedy treatment and recovery of those who may unfortunately come into contact with the virus”.
Responding, PC Jalloh on behalf of his people thanked Dr, Marah for his humanitarian gesture, noting that the relief items had come to “give hope to a people shaken and broken by a virus disease they had known nothing about”. He said for people like Dr, Marah to physically escort food items and drugs to them to support their sustenance and wellbeing, tell of how strong he (Dr. Marah) holds them in esteem and how concerned he is about their wellbeing as a people.
He said the donation from Dr. Marah is not a strange one to him and the people of Neini chiefdom, as his name has always featured in everything that is done through the District Ebola Task Force, the DHMT and now the Ebola Operations Command centered in Kumala, the chiefdom headquarter. He revealed that it is Dr. Marah financial support since the outbreak of the virus in his chiefdom that has been keeping him as Paramount Chief, able to entertain the huge party of visitors to the chiefdom since the outbreak.
One of the elders of the chiefdom acknowledged that by the support the Paramount Chief is getting from people like Dr. Kaifala Marah, they are certain that the chiefdom has not been left alone and isolated. “We now know that our Paramount Chief has able brothers and sisters who are standing by him to handle this crisis that has gripped all of us,” the elder stated.
A member of the distribution team, Dr. Komba Marah handing over motorbike keys to PC
Earlier, PC Jalloh expressed regret over the outbreak of the virus in his chiefdom, noting that it has caused a lot of worry and fear in the hearts and minds of people in the district. He however expressed thanks and appreciation for the level of understanding manifested across the district and the support his chiefdom has received from the entire district.
“It has never been the wish of Neini to have Ebola. It came by accident and a total surprise to all of us. We believe strongly that the entire district will stand by us to eliminate this virus from the face of this chiefdom and indeed the district. I thank my colleague Paramount Chiefs, stakeholders at national and local levels, the youth, the women for their prayers and efforts at relieving Neini chiefdom from its present predicament. Even though the fatalities are occurring in Neini chiefdom, the pain and the cries are felt and heard throughout the district, which has therefore made the Neini case, a case for the whole of Koinadugu district,” Paramount Chief Foday Umaru Jalloh III stated.
By Sayoh Kamara
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