Margibi authorities give Ebola update

Authorities in Margibi County have provided an official update on the deadly Ebola virus in the county, highlighting several cases, including the death of 14 health workers out of 22 that contracted the virus.

Speaking to reporters at the office of Superintendent John Buway in Kakata over the weekend, Margibi district#3 Representative Stephen S. Kafi, said health workers and ordinary citizens were dying from the Ebola virus in the county. He mainly emphasized that the closure of the C. H. Rennie Hospital has been rejected by the county authorities, assuring that the hospital will be reopened in the shortest possible time.

Representative Kafi also explained that suspected Ebola bodies were being left in communities for several days, awaiting the government burial team to arrive; something he said caused a road block in one of the communities with residents of the area demanding the immediate removal of the decomposed bodies. He further stated that some residents come in contact with Ebola patients and escaped, while others are in the habit of hiding family members when they are sick.

The lawmaker said in the midst of the situation, the county authorities, including the legislative caucus and the entire leadership were closely collaborating in addressing those issues.

He said the county has in place a task force headed by Dr. Adolphus T. Yeiah, Medical Director of the C.H. Rennie Hospital in Kakata and an amount of US$20,000 has been approved to facilitate the task force’s operations, noting that the county task force will be responsible to collect dead bodies from communities, trace people who have come in contact with Ebola patients and have them quarantined.

The Margibi lawmaker explained that about 200 sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) have been secured for health workers in the county. He thanked the religious community for contributing 45,000 Liberian Dollars to the task force and called on them to continue praying for Margibi County and Liberia at large.

Youth group distributes sanitary materials

Disabled groups in Montserrado, Margibi and Grand Bassa Counties are receiving sanitary materials and food rations from youth groups, as the Ebola crisis intensifies here. The United Youth for Peace, Education, Transparency and Development in collaboration with the Youth and Disabled WASH Network said they have begun distributing sanitary materials and food stuffs to the disability community in the above counties.

The United Youth’s Executive Director, Timothy Kpeh, said there is a need during this emergency period to identify with the disabled community. A statement quoting him says Mr. Kpeh’s organization is including food stuff in the distribution because people with disabilities would face difficulties in getting food during this crisis period.

Among items distributed were buckets, soap, chloride and rice. Meanwhile, the group is also spreading Ebola preventive messages to citizens while helping the disabled.