Former Senator takes GOL to Task
The Political Leader of the Opposition Liberty Party has claimed that the current Ebola outbreak in Liberia has exposed the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration’s failure to adequately meet the needs of ordinary citizens, especially health workers.
According to former Bong County Senator Franklin Siakor, who spoke recently in Gbarnga, Bong Copunty, Liberia did not meet the Heavily Indebted Nations requirements, rather persuaded representations of partners on the grounds to lowering the standard of the requirements.
Former Senator Siakor noted that some cardinal issues that should have been settled before the waiver of Liberia’s debts, including the provision of ambulance for every clinic and nurse’s salaries were not settled, but swept under the carpet. He accused government officials and some international partners of giving inflated impressions about the Liberian health system to international donors- a situation which the outbreak of the Ebola disease has exposed.
He said the Ebola situation has not only exposed the government’s failure to meet the needs of ordinary citizens, but international partners that have been advocating for the government when it has not been performing rightly.
Siakor, who is again vying for the Bong County Senatorial seat, maintained that the government incapacity and inefficiency have been seriously exposed by the Ebola crisis, he described as regrettable, the government’s inability to place hundreds of nurses on its payroll despite their hard work.
WHO official urges Bong County health team
The Technical Advisor of the World Health Organization assigned to the Bong County Ebola Taskforce has urged the leadership of the County Health Team to make maximum use of the eight Suzuki motorcycles with other accessories provided recently by Global Communities- an international NGO.
Dr. Moses Jeuronlon said the donation arose out of several stakeholders meeting with Global Communities to extend portions of its spending to the County Health and Social Welfare Team to fight the Ebola virus disease.
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The WHO Technical Advisor noted that the materials given the team must be handled with care in order to attract other partners for similar assistance for the eradication of the Virus that continues to destroy the lives of the ordinary citizens and health care workers.
According to Dr. Jeuronlon, the Virus came as a surprise to the Country, stressing the urgent need for the Bong Ebola Taskforce to tighten its belt to properly utilize the items presented to it for the good of the County. He pledged the World Health Organization’s continual engagement with partners in the fight against the virus.
It can be recalled that recently, Global Communities- formerly CHF, donated to the County Health and Social Welfare Team, eight out of the eleven Suzuki motorbikes, protective gears and Sanitizers valued more than US$70, 000.00 in fulfillment of a promise it made to help trace Ebola-related communities in the County.
New Bong ETU receives more patients
The Communications Director of the International Medical Corps operating the newly open Bong Ebola Treatment Unit has disclosed that its operations at the center were progressive. Stuart Sia said since the establishment of the ETU, the IMC continues to receive maximum cooperation from community members and its Liberian staff.
He added that the IMC has trained and continues to train Liberian health workers and other staff members working at the Bong Ebola treatment Unit, noting that IMC staff are continuously encouraged to take preventive measures while executing their duties. He said the organization has made available vehicles to transport medical staff to and from work, expressing optimism that an Ebola positive patient would one day walk away negative, based on their (IMC) current activities.
He disclosed that they currently contemplated on expanding the facility from fifty beds to seventy. Mr. Stuart Sia said the expansion of the facility will enable them to take more people suspected and confirmed of the Ebola virus. According to him, two persons, recently suspected of Ebola, were discharged after their tests proved negative.
