Friday, 15 August 2014

Red Cross meets with President Koroma


By State House Communications Unit
The Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross, Mr. Elhadj As Sy on 14th August, 2014 met with President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma at State House to have firsthand information about the health situation on the ground regarding the Ebola outbreak.
President Koroma underscored the significance of the visit of the Secretary General of the Red Cross Federation, which he said calls for a collaborative approach and helps to strengthen government’s commitment in the fight against the Ebola outbreak.

President Koroma described the visit of the Red Cross Federation as a step in the right direction and it sends volumes of messages, especially so when the country is going through a challenging moment. The President went on to state that the country is in a state of preparedness, adding that the on-going sensitization has reduced the element of fear and denial among the people. President Koroma believes that with a collective approach, “we can overcome the fight against the Ebola Virus Disease.”

Mr. Elhadj As Sy commended the government of Sierra Leone for giving them several privileges to carry on their activities in the country unhindered. He went on to commend the Sierra Leone chapter for managing one of the treatment centres, and noted that sensitization has reduced the element of fear, denial and ignorance, reiterating that the fight has to be all-inclusive.

While commending the leadership of President Koroma in the wake of the outbreak, Mr Sy said that his visit is a clear manifestation of their commitment to the war on Ebola as they are in Sierra Leone not only to take care of people when they are sick, but also to take care of the dead in a dignified manner.

He said that their approach is to respond to the needy in the sub-region as the issue of the Ebola outbreak is not only a problem of Sierra Leone but also that of the international community. He lauded the control measures being put in place at the Freetown International Airport and called for an efficient contact tracing and surveillance mechanism in the country.

According to the National President of the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, Mr. Edward T. Ngandi, when disaster overwhelms any member of the national society, the federation springs into action by mobilizing resources to alleviate the plight of the vulnerable in the affected nation.

Among the delegation were Board members of the Sierra Leone Red Cross, Mrs. Augusta E. Taqi, Chairperson of the Finance and Audit Committee, Mr. Jonathan Juan-Kamanda, National Treasurer, Mr. Emmanuel H. Tommy, Secretary General and Mr. Edward T. Ngandi, National President of the Sierra Leone Red Cross.

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