Eight under Ebola radar in Oman |
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Muscat: Eight
travellers from West Africa are being monitored for 21 days for fever
and other symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Oman, according to an
update from the Ministry of Health.
However, there is no history of exposure to a suspect case and they have not developed any Ebola symptoms. It is also not clear whether they have been quarantined in the five-bedroom villas in Khoula Hospital or they are being monitored for fever and other symptoms at their homes. These villas have been identified as the quarantine centre for Ebola cases.  The Public Relations Officer of Khoula Hospital is the in-charge for administrative support and a regional epidemiologist has been made in-charge of the quarantine centre. Though the threat from the epidemic has been described as remote, the ministry has issued quarantine guidelines for victims, if any cases do crop up. "There can be two types of quarantine — home quarantine and institution quarantine," it said. In home quarantine, officials have been asked to compile a list of those who are in contact with the victim. The victim's movements should be controlled, and a regional epidemiologist should monitor their health conditions twice a day for fever for 21 days. In institution quarantine, all the suspected cases will be transferred from the airport to the quarantine centre by transport provided by the Oman Airport Management Committee (OAMC) where they will be put under surveillance. "Institution quarantine also includes uneducated people who do not understand the situation and seriousness of this disease," the guidelines from the ministry said. Dr Abdallah Assaedi, WHO representative in Oman, said that a national committee has been established under the overall supervision of Dr Mohamed Al Hosani, undersecretary for health for Ebola. "They meet regularly and get a full update of the situation," he said. Meanwhile, special screenings are in place for Muscat-bound passengers from African countries. "The surveillance system was launched on September 12, 2014," an airline official said. Sami Muctar, area manager - Oman, Ethiopian Airlines, said that passengers and crew of all inward bound flights from Africa to Muscat International Airport have been asked to fill in the 'Self Declaration Form' by officials of the Ministry of Health. "This is being done as a precautionary measure," he explained. While Ethiopian Airlines operates four flights a week to Muscat International Airport, Oman Air operates flights to Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam. The Ministry of Health has chalked out various preventive measures to face any possible importation of the epidemic. "There's no need to panic. The virus is not in the environment in Oman. But, since it's a terrifying disease, there is, indeed, concern about it," said a doctor attached with the private hospital. The ministry also believes that contact management of EVD is a key aspect in the prevention and control of the disease in the community. http://www.timesofoman.com/News/40270/Article-Eight-under-Ebola-radar-in-Oman |
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Monday, September 22, 2014
Eight under Ebola radar in Oman
CDC issues alarming new Ebola warning for crews of U.S. airlines
'Treat any body fluid as though it is infectious': CDC issues alarming new Ebola warning for crews of U.S. airlines
- The agency stressed that airlines may 'deny boarding to air travelers with serious contagious diseases that could spread during flight' on Friday
- The rule applies to all U.S. airlines and to foreign airlines flying directly in or out of the country
- Ebola has infected at least 5,357 people in West Africa and has killed 2,630 of those
- Thousands of U.S. soldiers are slated to enter Africa to help stem the out-of-control outbreak over the next 30 days
The Center
for Disease Control has issued new, strict guidelines for airline crews
in an attempt to stop Ebola from spreading outside West Africa.
Released
Friday, the new guidance stresses that flight crews should 'treat any
body fluid as though it it is infectious,' as the out-of-control
outbreak claims thousands of lives in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and
Senegal.
The
warning comes as 3000 U.S. troops start to deploy to the developing
nations to set up facilities and form training teams to help the
Africans treat victims of the gruesome disease.
The
CDC stressed in its release that, per U.S. law, American airlines and
foreign airlines traveling non-stop to or from the country are permitted
airlines 'to deny boarding to air travelers with serious contagious
diseases that could spread during flight.'
In July, a sick Nigeria man managed to board a plane in Liberia and took the deadly virus with him to Lagos.
Officials
moved swiftly to tamp out the spread in Africa's most populous city
after the man passed Ebola to several healthcare workers.
None of his fellow passengers appear to have contracted the disease in-flight.
Nonetheless, fears remain that a traveler could potentially facilitate that spread of Ebola beyond the confines of West Africa.
Meanwhile,
thousands of promised American forces will be moving into Africa over
the next 30 days to set up facilities and form training teams to help
the Africans treat Ebola victims, the Army's top officer said Friday...
US troops heading into Africa soon for Ebola fight
US troops heading into Africa soon for Ebola fight
WASHINGTON — The top U.S. Army officer says thousands of promised American forces will be moving into Africa over the next 30 days to set up facilities and form training teams to help the Africans treat Ebola victims.
Gen. Ray Odierno says the disease has accelerated faster than
initially thought, so the U.S. needs to get people on the ground and
ramp up numbers quickly. President Barack Obama has pledged 3,000
troops, and the U.S. military commander and a small team have arrived in
Liberia to do initial assessments.
Before troops are sent in, Odierno says the Army needs to make sure they are prepared to operate in that environment, which includes health care safety. The military units expected to deploy have not been identified.
Meanwhile in Monrovia, Liberia, The U.S. Embassy said Friday that the
first shipment of increased American military aid to help fight the
Ebola epidemic had landed in the West African country.Before troops are sent in, Odierno says the Army needs to make sure they are prepared to operate in that environment, which includes health care safety. The military units expected to deploy have not been identified.
A C-17 U.S. military aircraft brought a team of seven military personnel along with some equipment on Thursday. An embassy statement said more supplies and personnel are expected in the coming days.
The U.S. Embassy says Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams arrived in the country on Tuesday and has been meeting with Liberian officials.
President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced the United States is sending 3,000 troops to help fight the Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 2,600 people across West Africa. More than half the deaths have occurred in Liberia.
"Man bitten by Ebola patient flown to Switzerland"
"GENEVA -- Swiss authorities say a male nurse who was bitten by an Ebola patient while working in West Africa has been flown to Switzerland as a precaution.
The health ministry says the unidentified man was working for an international organization in Sierra Leone when he was bitten by a child infected with Ebola on Saturday.
The ministry says the nurse was wearing protective gear and is unlikely to have contracted the disease.
It said the man, who was flown to Switzerland by a private transport company Monday, will be kept under observation at Geneva's University Hospital for the incubation period of three weeks.
The ministry said it was the first medical transport to Switzerland from the Ebola-affected region."[link to www.sacbee.com]
Streets bustling after Sierra Leone shutdown ends
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FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) -- Streets in Sierra Leone's
capital bustled again Monday after an unprecedented nationwide shutdown
during which officials said more than 1 million households were checked
for Ebola patients and given information on how to prevent the spread of
the deadly disease.
The government delayed an announcement on how many new cases had been discovered.
The
national health system, already hit by the Ebola deaths of several
leading doctors and many nurses, would be further strained if many
additional patients were found.
Sierra Leone
and Liberia, which have been hardest hit in this outbreak, have only
about 20 percent of the beds they need to treat patients, according to
the World Health Organization.
The Sierra
Leone government has ordered tents for temporary treatment centers to
make room for those additional cases, said Abdulai Bayraytay, a
government spokesman.
Liberia opened a 150-bed
treatment center on Sunday, its largest so far, and ambulances
immediately rushed patients there. By Monday, the new clinic had
admitted 112 people, though only 46 of those have tested positive for
Ebola, said Assistant Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah. The rest are
being held for observation and treated for other diseases, like malaria.
Ebola,
transmitted through bodily fluids, is blamed for the deaths of more
than 2,800 people in West Africa, according to new figures released
Monday by the World Health Organization. More than 5,800 people are
believed to have been sickened in the outbreak. The vast majority of the
cases and deaths have been in Liberia but the disease has also affected
Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal.
The hardest hit
countries have resorted to extraordinary measures. Liberia has cordoned
off entire towns or neighborhoods and Sierra Leone's nationwide shutdown
is believed to be the most sweeping lockdown against disease since the
Middle Ages.
During Sierra Leone's shutdown,
at least 77 bodies were buried during the shutdown and half of them
tested positive for Ebola, Bayraytay, the spokesman, said. Officials are
waiting on laboratory tests for the other half to see whether they also
died of Ebola. The disease is thought to have killed more than 600
people in Sierra Leone, a nation of 6 million.
The
number of new suspected Ebola cases that were discovered during the
lockdown will be announced by Sierra Leone authorities at a press
conference Tuesday, originally scheduled for Monday.
There
is little reason to believe the lockdown had been effective in ending
transmission since such measures are so hard to enforce, said Joe Amon,
director of health and human rights for Human Rights Watch. Frustrated
residents complained of food shortages in some neighborhoods.
"You
could argue that it's strictly necessary not because it's an effective
way to break transmission but because it's necessary to reach people
with communication messages," he said.
Teams
carrying soap and information about Ebola reached about 75 percent of
1.5 million households in this nation, the Health Ministry said. Rumors
that the soap being distributed had been poisoned showed the importance
of education efforts.
Sierra Leone residents
overwhelmingly complied by staying in their homes but in one incident
health workers trying to bury five bodies 20 kilometers (12 miles) east
of Freetown were attacked on Saturday. After police reinforcements
arrived, the health workers completed the burial.
Nearly
350 health workers in West Africa have been infected, and more than
half of those have died. A Spanish priest who became infected while
serving as a medical director for a hospital in Sierra Leone was flown
back to Spain on Monday.
There are no approved
treatments or vaccines for Ebola, but officials have been trying out
experimental drugs during this outbreak. The small supply of one drug,
ZMapp, was exhausted after being used on a few patients.
On
Monday, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals of Canada said that its experimental
Ebola treatment had been used for a number of patients, and regulators
in the U.S. and Canada had approved its use in more. It said the drug
had been well tolerated so far.
Tekmira said
there were limited supplies of its TKM-Ebola drug and because it has not
been used in an actual study, the company acknowledged it is impossible
to tell if it had any effect.
Paper: West Africa could see 4,400 new Ebola cases in September
Paper: West Africa could see 4,400 new Ebola cases in September
Sept. 22, 2014 9:57 a.m.
A new paper in PLOS Currents: Outbreaks by SFI External Professor Carlos Castillo-Chavez and co-authors examines the complex dynamics of the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa.
To model the rapid evolution of both the virus and the efforts to contain it, the researchers applied time-series analysis and other statistical methods to World Health Organization data for Ebola in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. They found that in Liberia and Guinea, the transmission rate accelerated when military-enforced quarantines were imposed. This finding calls into question the effectiveness of enforced quarantines, which gather sick and healthy persons together in unsanitary conditions.
The researchers also predict that the last half of September will see 4,400 new Ebola cases in West Africa if the current transmission rates continue. http://www.santafe.edu/news/item/ebola-control-complex-adaptive-system/
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Liberian Journalist Succumbs to Deadly Ebola Virus Disease
- Written by FPA Reporter
- Published: 19 September 2014
Monrovia - A
Liberian journalist Yaya Kromah has fallen to the deadly Ebola virus.
His sister who works for the Carter Center office in Monrovia posted the
information on social media and also informed the Press Union of
Liberia Thursday afternoon.
The journalist died at the Ebola Treatment Center at the J.F.K. Hospital in Monrovia, while his entire family (Airfield-Matadi) was quarantined after he was taken to the hospital.
It is not clear whether the journalist contracted the virus while he was doing his reportorial duties, but sources said he had allegedly gone to seek the help of a herbalist after he developed problems with his leg.
Kromah is the first Liberian journalist to fall prey to the disease. The PUL in a short statement said it is very deeply saddened by the news. Secretary General D. Kaihenneh Sengbeh said.
“This shows that Ebola has no boundary and all Liberians must collaborate to fight the invisible enemy that is tearing the country apart. Our deepest sympathy to the rest of the family and may his soul and all those departed rest in perfect peace.”
Thousands of people have defied Sierra Leone’s three-day lockdown to combat the Ebola virus by crossing the border into Guinea without going through health controls.
Health officials in Guinea said people were coming “in waves” through the bush, fearing they would be taken away if they were found to have the disease. http://www.euronews.com/2014/09/20/thousands-evade-ebola-lockdown-in-sierra-leone/
Health officials in Guinea said people were coming “in waves” through the bush, fearing they would be taken away if they were found to have the disease. http://www.euronews.com/2014/09/20/thousands-evade-ebola-lockdown-in-sierra-leone/
Killing of an anti-Ebola team in Guinea: a survivor testified: "I've seen people get away with machetes and slingshots"
Advocacy against Ebola turned tragic Tuesday, September 16 in the small town of Wome in Forest Guinea. Doctors, politicians and journalists were lynched by residents who refused to admit the existence of the virus. A survivor testifies ... Tuesday afternoon, a delegation of a dozen people went to Womé, sub-prefecture of the region N'zérékoré in south-western Guinea Conakry. Among them, representatives of health staff of the hospital N'zérékoré, pastor, representatives of the Guinean state and several journalists covering the operation. The purpose of the delegation about the risks of the spread of the Ebola virus in a region that is experiencing a resurgence of epidemics in the past two weeks .
"When we arrived at Womé, we were welcomed by the population.
The governor of the region Nzerekore first made a speech in French to
express the determination of Guinea to defeat Ebola virus. Then an interpreter translated his words in the local language to the crowd. After a few minutes, someone stood up and said in the local language: "It is you who bring us Ebola! You're going to give up "and there was a clamor. The authorities have tried to speak again to calm people. But immediately, we received a hail of stones. I've seen people get away with machetes and slingshots. All members of the delegation took their legs around their necks to escape.
It was every man for himself: some managed to escape with their
vehicles, they are not concerned about me [vehicles were stoned before
she managed to escape, including that of the governor and the prefect,
note] . I was scared, and I ran as far as I could to hide in a bush. It was very long hours of anguish waiting, staring at my cell phone, looking network to prevent my family.
In the middle of the night, I managed to send a text message to tell
them that he had taken something serious to Womé, but I was alive. I told them where I was hiding. They managed to pick me up and I'm back healthy and saves Wednesday Nzerekore.
Behind me, I left friends, unable to help. Those who attacked the delegation made no distinction between doctors, journalists or political: for them, we had all come to contaminate them. "
Behind me, I left friends, unable to help. Those who attacked the delegation made no distinction between doctors, journalists or political: for them, we had all come to contaminate them. "
"Texting say Ebola is an invention of the Guinean government"
Several cases of virulent opposition to raising awareness occurred in the area of Forest Guinea in recent weeks, but this is the first time a rebellion of the population is dead. Jeudi18 September, Guinean Prime Minister condemned "in the strongest [this] act of cruelty intolerable and unjustifiable" and announced the opening of a police investigation. Six people have already been arrested.Nixon (pseudonym) knew a trainee journalists of a local radio who was killed while covering the event.
"There was no indication that this could be down to Womé dangerous: it is not a village at risk.
It was however the first time since the Ebola a delegation went there
to call the population to be vigilant because of the upsurge of cases in
the region [of awareness epidemic had already taken place but from
religious bodies, ed].
The problem is that misinformation is in full swing in the region for
several weeks, SMS circulating on mobile phones to say that Ebola is an
invention of the Guinean government to decimate the population of Guinea
forest. The people in these rural areas have no confidence at all in the political representatives. "
The funeral of the victims of the forest Womay May 1 N'zérékoré, in pictures ...
Previously, these compatriots had been abused until death ensues, buried and dug up another mass grave of primary school womey before sharing the final resting place in the woods Nzerekore city, a forest which becomes increasingly the home of the victims of injustice and horrible death when we know that she had also received other victims, including massacres intercommunity 2013 ...
Guineematin.com offers, below are some pictures of the funeral, thanks to one of our contacts N'zérékoré Hassimiou Sow:
Seven of the victims of womey buried in a mass grave in the forest of May 1: at the entrance of the city of N'zérékoré
This is 17 hours as 'martyrs Ebola' finished their last trip to this world!
Atrociously killed, some mutilated and others burnt down, they dug up
the body of the mass grave of their tormentors womey could not expect
too much at the district hospital, and could not be returned to their
families, already sufficiently tested for both losses cruel and
surprising as bestiality in which their lives were cut short! Only the body of the pastor was removed and given to his church ... "You hear the sound of the tractor? It is putting the land on them ... "said the phone Guineematin.com Hassimiou Sow, who was in the crowd of attendants.
After announcing five (5) body, Mr. Sow recalled to clarify that after checking, there has seven bodies that share the pit, adding that some bodies were packed in the same bag, "You know that some were beheaded ... "says our informant with details ...
When the pastor, "he is buried at once in Zao," says another source to Guineemtin.com contacted at 5:46 p.m..
Guineematin.com extends its heartfelt condolences to the families, relatives, friends and acquaintances different victims and all the people of Guinea.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Liberian Executive Protection Service -57 Agents Quarantined #ebola
Ebola Strikes EPS - 57 Agents Quarantined
As
the Ebola virus continues to spread throughout the country like
wildfire, the elite presidential guard- the Executive Protection
Service, formerly the Special Security Service is the latest hit by the
deadly disease.57 of its officers and agents are currently being quarantined on suspicion of contracting the virus. Information gathered by this paper point to the fact the active EPS agents were being quarantined for attending the funeral and burial of a colleague reportedly died as a result of the deadly virus.
According to a document in the possession of this paper under the directive of the Director of the Presidential elite force-EPS, Col. Frank O. Nyekan, the 57 agents were asked to stay off the job for 21 days for participating in the funeral of Agent Ballah O. Dennis, who finally died on August 15, 2014.
A citation, under the signature of Agent Joseph Kollie, supervisor of the Human Resource Section of the EPS, issued on September 15, 2014, states: “by directive of the administration, through Director Frank O. Nyekan, the below listed employees of the EPS are hereby instructed to report to the office of the professional standard to state the role they played during the funeral service and burial of the late Agent Ballah O. Dennis,” the citation instructed.
The two page-citation further stated: “In the same vein, they are hereby advised to stay away from work until the Professional Standard Section comes up with analytical report and recommendations relative to their roles played during the funeral service and burial of the late agent. Let this administrative instruction claim your attention and act accordingly to avoid future embarrassment,” it warned. Agent Dennis was assigned with the presidential motorcade prior to his demised at the “hands of Ebola”.
According to our sources, the late Agent Dennis, along with other family members, accompanied for medication an ailing relative (named not revealed) to several hospitals in Monrovia, including the SDA Cooper, SOS, ELWA, and government- run John F. Kennedy Medical Center, but was rejected on the basis of his condition.
Later at the Goodwill Clinic in Fiamah, SDinkor, where they thought there would have been little hope, the patient was denied acceptance because medical practitioners at the clinic observed serious symptoms of the Ebola virus disease. The Ailing EPS Agent was later taken back to his residence in the Tulsa Field Community Gardinersville, outside Monrovia where he finally died.
When Presidential Spokesman Jerolinmek Piah was contacted via mobile phone Wednesday afternoon, he declined to comment on grounds that he only speaks for the president’s office and not the Executive Protection Service. When the Director of the EPS, Col. Frank O. Nyekan was finally contacted via mobile phone, he told this paper that he was in a meeting and could not speak to the issue.
However, it is unclear as to whether the Late Agent Ballah O. Dennis closely and personally interacted with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in recent times prior to death as a member of the Presidential motorcade. http://www.thenewdawnliberia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12704:ebola-strikes-eps-57-agents-quarantined&catid=25:politics&Itemid=59
For Fear of Ebola Spread House Quarantines Several
Thu, 09/18/2014 - 19:34
admin
By:
Keith Morris
Following
the death of Captain James Morlu of the House of Representatives, the
Lower House yesterday decided to “quarantine those suspected of having
had contact with Morlu.”
Capt. Morlu recently died after a brief illness, but the cause of death is yet to be established.
According to Deputy House Speaker Hans Barchue, the House leadership agreed to place Sergeant-At-Arms General Martine Johnson and the entire security detachment controlling the chambers of the House chamber under quarantine until the end of September 2014.
At a news conference in Monrovia, Rep. Barchue disclosed that a specimen of Morlu had been extracted for laboratory testing and the results will be available in days; but the leadership has imposed precautionary measures on the House family of the victim, in order to protect and prevent a possible spread.
“We were made to understand that Morlu had been away from the Capitol Building since August 28, 2014. However, we want to be extra careful not infest others even though we do not yet know what killed him. We reported this to the World Health Organization people and they are in contact with his family and staffers as well.
“We asked the Chief Clerk, Madam Mildred Siryon, to speak with the Ministry of Health in order to make food available to the families and the quarantined staffers during this period,” Deputy Speaker Barchue stated.
The House announced that regular Extra Session as required by the Constitution under a State of Emergency was scheduled to have resumed yesterday, September 18, 2014 in order to run the affairs of state.
The House on Monday of this week suspended its Extraordinary Sitting for Tuesday, September 16, 2014 over the fear of Ebola.
According to the Grand Bassa County lawmaker, suspending sessions was based to medical advice from experts in an effort to chlorinate and disinfest the House’s chamber and surrounding offices due to a probable case of Ebola.
Members and chamber staff were asked to stay away during and 48 hours after the chlorination.
Meanwhile, since the pronouncement was made by the House, the entire Capitol Building has been deserted by officials of government, including Vice President Joseph N. Boakai and Speaker Alex Tyler, whose offices are located within the building.
Morlu served as one of the leading security officers who was usually involved with distributing or circulating the chamber’s agenda, as well as, procuring some personal items for lawmakers during session.
Capt. Morlu recently died after a brief illness, but the cause of death is yet to be established.
According to Deputy House Speaker Hans Barchue, the House leadership agreed to place Sergeant-At-Arms General Martine Johnson and the entire security detachment controlling the chambers of the House chamber under quarantine until the end of September 2014.
At a news conference in Monrovia, Rep. Barchue disclosed that a specimen of Morlu had been extracted for laboratory testing and the results will be available in days; but the leadership has imposed precautionary measures on the House family of the victim, in order to protect and prevent a possible spread.
“We were made to understand that Morlu had been away from the Capitol Building since August 28, 2014. However, we want to be extra careful not infest others even though we do not yet know what killed him. We reported this to the World Health Organization people and they are in contact with his family and staffers as well.
“We asked the Chief Clerk, Madam Mildred Siryon, to speak with the Ministry of Health in order to make food available to the families and the quarantined staffers during this period,” Deputy Speaker Barchue stated.
The House announced that regular Extra Session as required by the Constitution under a State of Emergency was scheduled to have resumed yesterday, September 18, 2014 in order to run the affairs of state.
The House on Monday of this week suspended its Extraordinary Sitting for Tuesday, September 16, 2014 over the fear of Ebola.
According to the Grand Bassa County lawmaker, suspending sessions was based to medical advice from experts in an effort to chlorinate and disinfest the House’s chamber and surrounding offices due to a probable case of Ebola.
Members and chamber staff were asked to stay away during and 48 hours after the chlorination.
Meanwhile, since the pronouncement was made by the House, the entire Capitol Building has been deserted by officials of government, including Vice President Joseph N. Boakai and Speaker Alex Tyler, whose offices are located within the building.
Morlu served as one of the leading security officers who was usually involved with distributing or circulating the chamber’s agenda, as well as, procuring some personal items for lawmakers during session.
Ebola Kills 10 in 48hrs in Ganta
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.
Double Death
Double Death
Miss
Liberia 2009-2010, Shu-rina Rose Weah was reported dead on Tuesday,
September 16, just a fortnight after the death of her elder sister,
Toose Sieanyene Yuoh. The cause of death of either sister is not yet
confirmed, although friends who posted condolences on Wiah’s Facebook
page are desperately seeking answers to this very question. Other
sources suggest Wiah had been sickly over the past year, and that the
cause of death might not be Ebola.
Ms. Weah, who hails from Grand Bassa County, studied Public Administration & Management at the African Methodist Episcopal University in Monrovia, Liberia. She was the founder and executive director of “New Hope for Young Women," an organization that focuses on encouraging young and single mothers without support, and helping them to obtain a better education. She died at age 27.
Toose Yuoh, Shu-rina’s elder sister, posted on her facebook page that she (Toose) was married on May 7, 2014 and died four months later, on September 1.. http://www.liberianobserver.com/lib-life/double-death
Miss Liberia 2009-2010, Shu-rina Rose Weah about 2 weeks after the death of her elder sister, Toose Sieanyene Yuoh
Double Death
Wed, 09/17/2014 - 22:29
admin
Friends and family remember the former Miss Liberia and her elder sister who both died 2 weeks apart
By:
Makanfi Kamara
Ms. Weah, who hails from Grand Bassa County, studied Public Administration & Management at the African Methodist Episcopal University in Monrovia, Liberia. She was the founder and executive director of “New Hope for Young Women," an organization that focuses on encouraging young and single mothers without support, and helping them to obtain a better education. She died at age 27.
Toose Yuoh, Shu-rina’s elder sister, posted on her facebook page that she (Toose) was married on May 7, 2014 and died four months later, on September 1.. http://www.liberianobserver.com/lib-life/double-death
8 Dead Bodies Found In Ganta…Ebola Kills 2 Ambulance Drivers
Eight dead bodies have been discovered in Ganta, Nimba County as authorities of the county continue to combat the deadly Ebola.
The INQUIRER gathered that in Ganta, two of the dead bodies were found at the Palm Community in Deakehmehn while the balance six were found in various communities in and around Ganta, a commercial city in the county.
At the Ganta City Corporation Hall, a spokesman of the Ebola Task Force in the area said the eight dead bodies may have died from Ebola or related cases.
Information closed to the Ebola Task Force in the county indicated that the eight bodies died during the weekend in Ganta and the bodies were taken over by the Ebola burial team for interment.
In a related development, two Ambulance drivers working for the Ministry of Health and assigned in Nimba County have died.
The two drivers, Victor Naiyee, and Oliver Kough died one week ago in Nimba after contracting the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)
.
Oliver Kough was assigned at the J.W. Harley Hospital in Sanniquellie while Victor Naiyee was assigned with the Saclepea Comprehensive Health Center in Saclepea, Nimba County.
A sister of Oliver Kough, Kama Kough said, the death of her brother derived from the ambulance that he was driving which was always transporting Ebola patients. She said Oliver Kough left behind several children including his wife and a host of other relatives.
When contacted, the Medical Director at the J. W. Harley Hospital, Dr. Laurine Cooper refused to comment on the issue and said she was not clothed with the authority to speak to the press.
According to report gathered by this paper the two drivers died after contracting the Ebola virus while on duty.Olive Kough died at the holding center in Monrovia, while Victor Naiyee died at the Comprehensive Health Center in Saclepea.
The
Osun State Government has directed all public and and private Schools
in the State to reopen for the year 2014/2015 academic activities on
Monday, October 6, 2014.
The announcement comes as the Federal Government and the Nigeria Union Of Teachers (NUT) continue talks on whether or not to resume on September 22, the schools resumption date set by the Federal Ministry of Education.
A statement signed by the Deputy Governor, Otunba Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, who doubles as the Commissioner for Education, said that this would enable both principals and teachers to receive adequate training and put in place all necessary measures to prevent the Ebola epidemic in schools and in the state in general.
She assured the people of the State that Osun is Ebola free. She called on school managers to ensure daily practical demonstration of hand washing by the pupils and students, including teachers.
She emphasized the need to maintain the culture of hygiene.
The announcement comes as the Federal Government and the Nigeria Union Of Teachers (NUT) continue talks on whether or not to resume on September 22, the schools resumption date set by the Federal Ministry of Education.
A statement signed by the Deputy Governor, Otunba Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, who doubles as the Commissioner for Education, said that this would enable both principals and teachers to receive adequate training and put in place all necessary measures to prevent the Ebola epidemic in schools and in the state in general.
She assured the people of the State that Osun is Ebola free. She called on school managers to ensure daily practical demonstration of hand washing by the pupils and students, including teachers.
She emphasized the need to maintain the culture of hygiene.
Sierra Leone News: Philanthropist rescues quarantined homes in Marampa
Sierra Leone News: Philanthropist rescues quarantined homes in Marampa
More than 50 residents of Marampa Chiefdom in Port Loko District
are currently facing an Ebola crisis, following the quarantining of an
entire Magbethor village and four houses in the township of Lunsar.
Circumstances leading to the quarantining of Magbethor Village; a remote locality situated a few kilometres off Masiaka-Makeni highway in the north of Sierra Leone, followed the mysterious death of what could be referred to as the first Ebola victim in a tiny village comprising ten houses.
Five days after the death of Pa Musa Kamara (the first victim), a stream of deaths in less than eight days followed, which included ten other members of his family. Two of such deaths, according to report, took place in Kenema, where contact tracers (following proof that they were Ebola positive) had transferred all suspected cases for treatment.
As a result of these deaths, a decision to quarantine the entire village and four other houses in Lunsar that had suffered similar circumstance, was arrived at; with apparently no sober plan to provide food supply for those homes.
In the midst of this food crisis among quarantine families; who are approximately more than 40, Khadija Bah-Wakefield, a social scientist cum policy adviser, and an indigene of Marampa Chiefdom, has provided a total of 14 bags of rice, including cooking ingredients and nutritional support to all the quarantined homes across the chiefdom.
The Philanthropist, as being referred to by beneficiaries, said that she actually made the donation as part of her support to the government’s fight against the deadly Ebola outbreak, and to show compassion and care for his people, who she considered “ vulnerable.” She revealed that having grown up in the chiefdom, she would want to give back especially in a trying moment like this in the country. She urged all to come on-board and challenge the disease, as, she suggested, it is only through cohesive approach that the fight against Ebola will be won.
The Chief of the village, Pa Santigie Koroma lamented that since the time the village was cordoned off, no serious attention particularly in the area of food supply has been rendered to them.
He explained that they as inhabitants are very much disappointed with authorities of the chiefdom, as, he alleged, none of them have paid a single visit to them from the date the order to quarantine them came.
He expressed profound thanks to the Khadija Bah-Wakefield for her kind support in providing the most needed items to them at such a crucial moment. He said that their situation in the village is pathetic, as farming activities have been seriously jeopardized. He said that as rules of quarantine demands, they are not allowed to visit their farms. As a result, birds and rodents are presently feasting on their rice and crops with utmost liberty.
He made a call on authorities to provide needed life-support items to them in such a moment of grief.
Three officers from the Operational Support Division (OSD) complained that they are equally vulnerable in their execution of duty, as they are presently dwelling in the home of late Pa Musa Kamara who presumably died of Ebola.
However, it was reported that health workers visit the village every morning to know the health status of inhabitants.
By Poindexter Sama
Thursday September 18, 2014
Circumstances leading to the quarantining of Magbethor Village; a remote locality situated a few kilometres off Masiaka-Makeni highway in the north of Sierra Leone, followed the mysterious death of what could be referred to as the first Ebola victim in a tiny village comprising ten houses.
Five days after the death of Pa Musa Kamara (the first victim), a stream of deaths in less than eight days followed, which included ten other members of his family. Two of such deaths, according to report, took place in Kenema, where contact tracers (following proof that they were Ebola positive) had transferred all suspected cases for treatment.
As a result of these deaths, a decision to quarantine the entire village and four other houses in Lunsar that had suffered similar circumstance, was arrived at; with apparently no sober plan to provide food supply for those homes.
In the midst of this food crisis among quarantine families; who are approximately more than 40, Khadija Bah-Wakefield, a social scientist cum policy adviser, and an indigene of Marampa Chiefdom, has provided a total of 14 bags of rice, including cooking ingredients and nutritional support to all the quarantined homes across the chiefdom.
The Philanthropist, as being referred to by beneficiaries, said that she actually made the donation as part of her support to the government’s fight against the deadly Ebola outbreak, and to show compassion and care for his people, who she considered “ vulnerable.” She revealed that having grown up in the chiefdom, she would want to give back especially in a trying moment like this in the country. She urged all to come on-board and challenge the disease, as, she suggested, it is only through cohesive approach that the fight against Ebola will be won.
The Chief of the village, Pa Santigie Koroma lamented that since the time the village was cordoned off, no serious attention particularly in the area of food supply has been rendered to them.
He explained that they as inhabitants are very much disappointed with authorities of the chiefdom, as, he alleged, none of them have paid a single visit to them from the date the order to quarantine them came.
He expressed profound thanks to the Khadija Bah-Wakefield for her kind support in providing the most needed items to them at such a crucial moment. He said that their situation in the village is pathetic, as farming activities have been seriously jeopardized. He said that as rules of quarantine demands, they are not allowed to visit their farms. As a result, birds and rodents are presently feasting on their rice and crops with utmost liberty.
He made a call on authorities to provide needed life-support items to them in such a moment of grief.
Three officers from the Operational Support Division (OSD) complained that they are equally vulnerable in their execution of duty, as they are presently dwelling in the home of late Pa Musa Kamara who presumably died of Ebola.
However, it was reported that health workers visit the village every morning to know the health status of inhabitants.
By Poindexter Sama
Thursday September 18, 2014
Sierra Leone to ‘Close Down’ Over Ebola Containment Measure
...after 3 days everyone back to drinkin, screwin and dyin...
Last updated on: September 18, 2014 3:29 PM
Current figures show there are 1,400 cases of the Ebola disease in Sierra Leone, according to Kanu.
He said the administration aims to reduce the infection rate.
“Everybody is expected to stay at home except about 50,000 or so essential staff people who will be given passes to move around the country. That does not include the 21,000 youths, who are volunteering to go from house to house to talk to people, [and] educate them about the dangers of the disease, the nature of the disease and how it can be prevented,” said Kanu.
He said the containment measure will focus on suspending the country’s age-old cultural practices, including greetings and funeral arrangements.
“[Volunteers] will talk to them about improving their personal hygiene and also putting in abeyance highly valued cultural activities of touching and feeling each other- shaking hands, hugging and also trying to cut down on our traditional rights of burial, where people have to wash dead bodies before they are buried,” said Kanu.
Kanu said President Ernest Bai Koroma has established two commissions, which he said are being backed by international medical partners, to oversee the Ebola containment measure.
Kanu expressed confidence the measure will succeed.
“We are very encouraged and hopeful that the outcome would be positive in the sense that if you limit the person-to-person contact and the area-to-area movements of people, we can limit the disease and its transmission. Once we do that we cut the transmission rate, we will be in a position to care better for those who are already infected,” he said... http://www.voanews.com/content/sierra-leone-to-clode-down-over-ebola-containment-measure/2454663.html
Ebola Health Workers: Attack Leaves 3 Journalists, 2 Doctors Dead
Ebola Health Workers: Attack Leaves 3 Journalists, 2 Doctors Dead
Eight people were found dead Thursday after an attack on a team conducting an information session on Ebola in Guinea, Reuters reported. Three of the bodies had their throats slit, government spokesperson Damantang Albert Camara told Reuters."The eight bodies were found in the village latrine," Camara told Reuters.
Three journalists, the director of the health education program in the town and two senior doctors who work at the local hospital were among the dead. Angry residents of Womey, a small town in southeastern Guinea, attacked the health workers Tuesday, then reportedly held them captive before they were found dead.
"The meeting started off well; the traditional chiefs welcomed the delegation with 10 kola nuts as a traditional greeting," a local resident who said his name is Yves told the Guardian. "It was afterwards that some youths came out and started stoning them. They dragged some of them away, and damaged their vehicles."
There is wide mistrust in the smaller towns of Guinea, one of the three countries that have been hardest hit by the recent Ebola outbreak that health officials are calling the deadliest in history. Villagers have accused foreign doctors of “bringing the disease” with them, Dr. Michel Van Herp of Doctors Without Borders told ABC news. Some villagers believe that uttering the word Ebola out loud causes the disease to spread and others believe it simply does not exist, Van Herp said... http://www.ibtimes.com/ebola-health-workers-attack-leaves-3-journalists-2-doctors-dead-1691560
Ebola Riots in Guinea Leave Seven Dead, Premier Says
Sep 18, 2014 5:27 PM ETSeven people were killed during rioting in Guinea as members of a mission seeking to educate the population about the Ebola virus were attacked by angry crowds, the West African nation’s premier said.
Those killed in the clashes yesterday in the southern N’Zerekore region included an evangelical pastor, Prime Minister Mohamed Said Fofana said in a televised address today. The delegation was seeking to raise awareness about the deadly viral disease, and encountered a “hostile reaction of citizens who continue to believe that Ebola does not exist, or that it was created to eliminate them,” he said.
Guinea, along with Sierra Leone and Liberia, is among the worst-hit countries in the Ebola epidemic, the worst outbreak of the disease in history. About half of the 5,000 people who’ve been infected have died, and the World Health Organization has warned that the infections may not have peaked. The U.S. is deploying about 3,000 soldiers to West Africa to help efforts against the virus.
Emmanuel Camara, a witness who attended the meeting in the village of Wome that led to the rioting, said the team led by the region’s governor was explaining how to prevent Ebola and avoid contact with suspected cases. Suddenly, a group of young people accused the delegation of spreading the disease in the village, Camara, who fled with his family to escape the violence, said by phone today.
“They attacked with stones and sticks,” he said.
Fofana said two members of the delegation remain missing, while six people have been arrested in connection with the attack. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-18/ebola-riots-in-guinea-leave-seven-dead-premier-says.html
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