The Cummings Africa Foundation continues its assessment tour of hospitals on Monday as it prepares to make interventions in the fight against the raging coronavirus here.
The foundation visited the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital, where it met with the administrators and medical leadership of Catholic Hospital in Monrovia.
The visit comes days after the Cummings Africa Foundation has embarked on needs assessment visits to few hospitals in Montserrado, Margibi, and Nimba Counties
“The situation is dire, but the Cummings Africa Foundation ( CAF) will do what we can to help address it while our consultations continue this week with other hospitals. Tomorrow we will visit Margibi and Nimba which are also the hardest-hit counties in addition to Montserrado,” Cummings who doubles as the political leader of the Alternative National Congress or ANC said Monday.
Cummings: “I want to personally thank our healthcare workers for their sacrifice and commitment to saving lives. What they do in spite of the challenges and dangers, is pure patriotism and our country owes them a depth of gratitude.
To our citizens, do not despair. I know how hard it is to wake up to several deaths news. My wife Teresa and I have had our own share of the shock and sadness, but we cannot lose hope in our ability to defeat COVID.
Please continue to follow the rules. Wash your hands. Wear your masks over your nose and mouth. Avoid crowded places. Visit the nearest hospital when you feel sick. Take the COVID vaccine to protect yourself. Remember the vaccine may not prevent you from getting COVID, but it drastically reduces the severity and your chances of death.”
The assessment visits come days after President George Manneh Weah welcomed Mr. Cummings’ offer to help the government curbs the spread of the coronavirus here.
“As the COVID crisis worsens with an increase in infections and several deaths being reported, I am pleased to share that the Cummings Africa Foundation will get involved to help resolve this crisis,” a statement released over the weekend revealed.
The foundation disclosed that a small team including Dr. Wede Brownell, the Country Director of the Cummings Africa Foundation, Mr. Cummings, and his Chief of Staff Atty. Moriah Yeakula paid a visit to the Fidelity Hospital on 20th Street, Sinkor, Monrovia.
“We were pleased to meet with the administrators and are grateful for their cooperation,” the statement added.
The ANC political leader warned Liberians that COVID is raging but it can be defeated “if we follow the rules and guidelines as provided by Ministry of Health.”
He urged that people must continue to wear their masks, wash their hands frequently, stay away from crowds, take the COVID tests and vaccines and go to the nearest health center when they feel sick.
He continued that just as Liberians defeated Ebola together and collectively, they can defeat COVID, saying they must stay safe, follow the rules and also pray for the country.
Recently Mr. Cummings made an international appeal for help as the coronavirus rages in Liberia and also offered to work with the government in whatever reasonable way in tackling the resurgence, which experts say, is the Delta variant.
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He said the Cummings Africa Foundation is open to working with authorities at the Ministry of Health to identify urgent gaps in the national response to yield quick interventions.
Cummings in his statement made series of recommendations to the Weah administration to take siege of the health situation which include recast the budget to provide funding for the purchase of beds, personal protective equipment (PPEs), masks, vaccines, ventilators, oxygen, and massive awareness.
Cummings also proposed the need to solicit additional support from Liberians in the diaspora and the donor community; increase the hazard pay of existing health workers and employ more health workers contact tracers and immediately close all schools and ensure the completion of the semester from home, pending the end of the crisis.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/cummings-africa-foundation-tours-hospitals/
