Freetown, Nov. 24, 014 (MOHS) – The Secretary General of the Mano River Union (MRU), Hadja Dr. Saran Daraba Kabba has commended staff of the Hastings Ebola Treatment Centre for the great sacrifice they continue to render in the fight against the deadly Ebola virus disease.
A cross section of the Survivors
Addressing survivors and guests at the Hastings Police Training School Keith Lewis Hall at Hastings, Hadja Dr. Saran Daraba Kabba said she has been galvanizing support for the three affected MRU Member States from development partners and the international community.
She informed her audience that in March this year when the outbreak was reported in Guinea, the MRU Secretariat was among the first institutions to provide financial support to the Ministry of Health of Sierra Leone during the preparedness stage.
Dr. Saran Kabba expressed her special thanks and appreciation to the health workers of the Hastings Ebola Treatment Centre for the great services rendered to patients, noting that the centre, since its inception on the 19th September 2014, has discharged 307 Ebola Survivors. This, she said is a great track record worth recognition especially that the centre is operated solely by Sierra Leoneans.
“You are doing a great job and reducing the case fatality rate for your country”, Dr. Saran Kabba said.
To the survivors, the MRU Secretary General described the event as a great day for them and encouraged them to thank God for having granted them healing. She implored them to go to their communities and be agents of change, by sharing their stories and encouraged others to seek early treatment.
Dr. Kabba also expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Health and other development partners for their great work and support to combat the disease. The Secretary General on behalf of the MRU pledged 20 tons of rice to the Hastings Ebola Treatment Centre as token of appreciation.
Deputy Health and Sanitation Minister II, Madam Madina Rahman commended the MRU and health development partners for their continued support in the fight against the Ebola virus disease in the country.
Madam Madina Rahman informed her audience that plans are underway for the opening of treatment centres at Waterloo, Hastings Airfield, Police Training School phase II Ebola Treatment Centre, Goderich and the 34 Military hospital.
She lauded the health workers for the great sacrifice to contain the disease and implored the survivors to be ambassadors in their various communities.
The Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Alhaji Moijue Kaikai, disclosed plans to empower survivors engaged in business, and to provide scholarship to students that survived the virus.
Alhaji Moijue Kaikai also disclosed plans to take care of orphans, and assured the audience of his Ministry’s mandate to seek the welfare of vulnerable women and children.
The Country Manager, Sierra Leone Bottling Company Limited, Israel Okujagu, described the survivors as heroes and heroines for surviving what he referred to as the deadly Ebola battle, and reiterated his organization’s continued support in the fight to contain the disease.
Deputizing the Centre Coordinator, Capt. Dr. Songo Briwa said since the inception of the centre on the 19th September, 2014, they have admitted 526 patients and discharged 307 survivors.
He said no staff got infected since the opening of the centre and reiterated their commitment to maintain the centre’s success story.
Distribution of Discharged Certificates, food and non-food items formed part of the occasion.
KK/MOHS
Leave a Reply