President Koroma Addresses Media on Ebola

By State House Communications Unit

As a way of keeping citizens abreast with government’s efforts in containing the Ebola epidemic, President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma on Friday 15^th August at State House addressed media practitioners comprising both local and international journalists, on the role of government since the outbreak of the disease in May this year.

The President started by informing journalists that government had hitherto being in a state of preparedness before the outbreak and as part of government’s responsibility the disease was announced immediately it was noticed in the country. Irrespective of early preparedness, President Koroma however pointed out obstacles that were initially faced in handling the virus which included fear, denials, and confrontations with health workers, ignorance and limited epicenter which he did not dissociate from limited available resources.

In the area of blaming government, the President reminded citizens that the Ebola disease by itself is new and that it requires special training that cannot be easily acquired and hence the need for the intervention of the international community. Government by itself has done its bit in containing the outbreak. Out of appeal by the President, Seven Million US Dollars has already been raised out of a total of 27 Million US Dollar with outstanding gap of 18 million US Dollars all by the people of Sierra Leone without the international community. According to the President, government has so far received not more than two Million US Dollars as direct funding from the international community since the outbreak of the virus.

In substantiating his reproach against the international community for their slow response, President Koroma reiterated by referring to the current health situation of the country as an extraordinary situation which by every reason needs an extraordinary response. He went further to say that if only Sierra Leone as a country has been responding to several international calls by sending troops to other warring countries to save the lives of other nationals on time, why should the international community tarry to respond to our call to save the lives of our citizens? This is why the President in somber mood said has urged world leaders like the US President Obama and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon whom he had spoken to as recent as Thursday, to collaborate with Sierra Leone in the fight against the Ebola disease.

In the fight against Ebola, the President cautioned that people should not be oblivious of the fact that it is a concern for all and therefore needs concerted efforts to contain the virus. He commended the private sector for contributing considerable amount of 12 Billion Leones to fight the Ebola epidemic.

Being aware of the limited treatment centers in Kenema and Kailahun, the president intimated journalists that plans are underway to establish treatment centers with laboratories in almost all the regional headquarters to accordingly handle Ebola cases across the country, adding that government is are expecting a new laboratory to be in from South Africa and “we are hopeful that other countries will do likewise.”

Meanwhile, President Koroma updated the media on Ebola confirmed cases rising to 733 with 273 confirmed deaths and 200 survivors which he lamented was an indication that the disease is yet to be contained but however maintained that the fact that people are being discharged of the disease brings a lot of hope that with more measures Ebola shall eventually be a thing of the past. To avoid misinformation regarding Ebola, President Koroma informed that the MOHS and EOC are the two most reliable sources of information.  

Responding to the question of shortage of ambulance, the President said government has already ordered for twenty brand new ambulances to be airlifted into the country very shortly.