NERC boss ends tour of Ebola hot spots

Port Loko, Apr. 13 (SLENA) – The Chief Executive Officer of the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC), Retired Major Paolo Conteh has once again demonstrated his commitment in ensuring that the Ebola virus becomes a thing of the past in this country without further delay.

This was evident in his recent unannounced tour to all the Ebola hot spots in the Northern Province. Even though he appeared quite unwell, the Retired Major was able to muscle enough strength to avail his physical presence to the Port Loko, Kambia and Bombali districts.

The purpose of the visit, as he rightly put it, was to help him have a general feel of how the various Ebola Response Centres in these districts were fairing on with regards the level of compliance of community members to the rules and regulations aimed at getting rid of the Ebola virus from the country.

During his visit, Retired Major Paolo Conteh was more interested in knowing what else was required by these districts in stopping the spread of the virus , and to enable the country achieve its desire for a sustained zero record of Ebola new cases.

In Port Loko where he made his first stop, the visit coincided with a planned trip to Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom jointly organised by the District Ebola Response Centre (DERC) and the Port Loko District Ebola Task Force on Ebola. He arrived just before the high power delegation which comprised of the Regional Coordinator for Ebola Response, Mr. Jalloh, the Senior District Officer in Port Loko, Mr. Mansaray, the Chairman of the District Task Force, Mr. I. S Bangura and the District Coordinator for DERC in Port Loko, Hon. Raymond Kabia could depart for Kaffu Bullom.

The Retired Major who was accompanied by the Chief of Staff to the National Ebola Response Centre, Brigadier General Tarluva, was ushered to the Command Centre for an update on the prevailing situation in the district. He was subsequently informed by the outgoing British Officer in Charge of the Port Loko Command Centre, John Raine and Captain Bah of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces that the district was now recording a single digit but were yet to maintain zero Ebola figures.

According to them, it was largely as a result of what can be referred to as the level of non-compliance of members of the various communities, either to the pieces of advice of the Medics or stubbornness in the implementation of the bye laws.

In their separate presentations, they explained how fear of the Ambulance serine, the use of Chlorine by Medics at the holding or treatment Centres, the lack of trust, denial and stigma have always proved to be some of the key causes for the Ebola cases that have continued to surface from Port Loko.

They singled out Kaffu Bullom, Lokomasama and a few more places as hot spot Chiefdoms in the district, which they had subsequently classified as priority zones. They zeroed with a detailed explanation on how they have resolved to step up Social Mobilisation, Contact Tracing and Surveillance in both the High and Low Priority Areas in a bid to ensure zero Ebola new cases in the entire district.

Chief of Staff to the ebola resppnse centre, Brigadier General Tarluva wondered why there were still Ebola cases in the Port Loko district in spite of all the resources that have been poured in the district to fight the spread of the disease as well as the impressive plan of the Command and Control Centre to end the scourge. He placed his suspicion on the prevalence of traditional healers and secret societies which he opined were still very high in the Port Loko district.

The Chief Executive Officer, Retired Major Paolo Conteh squarely blamed the Paramount Chiefs for the apparent failure to have niped in the bud such ugly developments in their respective chiefdoms. He said Paramount Chiefs are bound in their capacity as traditional leaders to enforce the implementation of the bye laws and even cautioned the activities of traditional healers or herbalists to properly comply with the provisions of the bye laws so as to discourage secret burials and other forms of unwanted practises.

He recalled the promise Paramount Chiefs have always made to His Excellency, President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma which means they ought to be now recording zero Ebola new cases if only they were committed enough to those promises.

Retired Major Paolo Conteh used the occasion to inform them about the admirable efforts of the people in the east and southern regions, particularly those in Bonthe, Kenema and Kailahun Districts who have been scoring zero new Ebola cases for close to one hundred consecutive days.

He said that was a vivid indication that those people were very much determined to conclude the Ebola war so that they could return to their normal lives. He noted that it would be unfair for them to be put on hold by the apparent non-compliance and arrogance of people where the disease is much more prevalence.

He wondered what else is actually required to be done in these areas after Government and its development partners have provided all that is basically needed for the spread of the virus to have been contain by now. He concluded by urging for the full implementation of the bye laws.

By Hassan Bruz, Credit SLENA

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