Ebola Kills 10 in 48hrs in Ganta
Health workers dressed in their hazmat suits had gone to remove dead and chlorinate the homes
Ebola Kills 10 in 48hrs in Ganta
Thu, 09/18/2014 - 19:37
admin
By:
Ishmael F. Menkor
The
Ebola virus has exploded in Ganta again leading to the death of at
least 10 persons within 48 hours. This has exacerbated the existing fear
already in the Nimba County city, which used to be bustling before the
outbreak.
This wave of death is one of the heaviest in Ganta since the outbreak of Ebola began raging across Liberia.
Early Wednesday morning some residents gathered at the Ganta City Mayor Office demanding the removal of dead bodies from their community.
Some of the bodies are yet to be buried owing to the lack of vehicle to remove them. Some of the bodies had spent days in the community, creating anger in the citizens and sparking up their assembly at the city office for a quick response.
The Ganta Ebola Task Force has repeatedly been accused of responding slowly when it is called. There are reports that Ganta is an epicenter of the fight against the Ebola Virus Disease in Nimba.
“We are tired of carrying on awareness in the community, because those who are sick cannot be treated on time and some remain sick and died without anyone responding to them,” said Janjay Cole, a resident in Ganta.
“People are tired of seeing us again and again in their communities, because not much is being done to cater to the needs of the sick,” he added.
The Ganta Task Force which is coordinating relief effort by reaching out to the sick and those under quarantine is said to have run out of cash and basic supplies, because citizens are no longer donating as it used to be in July to August.
Rev. Eleazar Gbengar, spokesperson for the Task Force said, “The community preferred reaching out to the sick themselves so they can be known instead of passing through the Task Force, and so we can’t do anything.”
The Task Force usually provides funding to procure medicine for first aid medication to those suspected of being sick until their condition is diagnosed by health workers and taken to Monrovia for treatment, but shortage of money is hampering the medical response team as well as the welfare team.
Nimba County with close to half a million population is yet to receive testing or treatment center since the outbreak of the EVD.
Economic activity in Ganta is gradually declining with some key businesses including building material seller “Sethi Brothers” among others closing and leaving.
“We are just living by the grace of God, because we don’t know where we are heading in this Ebola crisis, no more daily markets, prices of basic commodities continue to rise,” said a lady with six children.
Amidst this deplorable condition, concerns are still raised as to what government is doing to treat those who had come down with the virus so as to save life when there are no enough ambulances in county to reach everywhere for sick people.
“This county has two second handed ambulances and are presently in one garage in Yekapa, how can we respond quickly to pick the sick,: said a health practitioner who doesn’t want to be named.
This wave of death is one of the heaviest in Ganta since the outbreak of Ebola began raging across Liberia.
Early Wednesday morning some residents gathered at the Ganta City Mayor Office demanding the removal of dead bodies from their community.
Some of the bodies are yet to be buried owing to the lack of vehicle to remove them. Some of the bodies had spent days in the community, creating anger in the citizens and sparking up their assembly at the city office for a quick response.
The Ganta Ebola Task Force has repeatedly been accused of responding slowly when it is called. There are reports that Ganta is an epicenter of the fight against the Ebola Virus Disease in Nimba.
“We are tired of carrying on awareness in the community, because those who are sick cannot be treated on time and some remain sick and died without anyone responding to them,” said Janjay Cole, a resident in Ganta.
“People are tired of seeing us again and again in their communities, because not much is being done to cater to the needs of the sick,” he added.
The Ganta Task Force which is coordinating relief effort by reaching out to the sick and those under quarantine is said to have run out of cash and basic supplies, because citizens are no longer donating as it used to be in July to August.
Rev. Eleazar Gbengar, spokesperson for the Task Force said, “The community preferred reaching out to the sick themselves so they can be known instead of passing through the Task Force, and so we can’t do anything.”
The Task Force usually provides funding to procure medicine for first aid medication to those suspected of being sick until their condition is diagnosed by health workers and taken to Monrovia for treatment, but shortage of money is hampering the medical response team as well as the welfare team.
Nimba County with close to half a million population is yet to receive testing or treatment center since the outbreak of the EVD.
Economic activity in Ganta is gradually declining with some key businesses including building material seller “Sethi Brothers” among others closing and leaving.
“We are just living by the grace of God, because we don’t know where we are heading in this Ebola crisis, no more daily markets, prices of basic commodities continue to rise,” said a lady with six children.
Amidst this deplorable condition, concerns are still raised as to what government is doing to treat those who had come down with the virus so as to save life when there are no enough ambulances in county to reach everywhere for sick people.
“This county has two second handed ambulances and are presently in one garage in Yekapa, how can we respond quickly to pick the sick,: said a health practitioner who doesn’t want to be named.
