El Hermano Michael Koroma nos envía de nuevo un informe detallado de la situación de la pandemia Covid-19 en Sierra Leona. Podemos constatar que hay un aumento de casos y de muertes comparándolo con la última notificación en nuestro blog del día 1 de mayo.

Hay tres centros hospitalarios que son reconocidos para poder tratar a los afectados: 34 Military Hospital, Chinese Hospital y Lungi Government Hospital. Las autoridades del país están intentando poner medidas restrictivas para poder controlar la pandemia sobre todo en los mercados y en los desplazamientos, lo que dificulta todavía más la complicada actividad de la población carente de muchos recursos como el agua potable y la energía eléctrica.

El Hospital de Mabesseneh mantiene su actividad en los servicios de PHC (Primary Health Care), atendiendo a las mujeres embarazadas tanto en el hospital como en los centros de atención primaria, y de los servicios de cirugía y otras patologías no coronavirus. La gente sigue yendo a estos servicios abiertos aunque no con la fluencia habitual de los meses anteriores de la crisis actual.

Os dejamos con la información que nos ha enviado el Hno. Michael en su extensión y formato original:

UPDATE ON COVID-19 SPREAD IN SIERRA LEONE

Dear Friends,

The covid-19 situation in Sierra Leone has just started its rise in the graph. Everyday, the
experts are not telling the country that it is getting better. Infact, what is really going on is
that the populace seems not to be too much interested in the Public Health
recommendations provided by the Public Health experts. It is now mandatory for every
person going out to put on a cloth face mask throughout. The Public has been warned to
stay home and avoid unnecessary movements, to mention but a few. It seems the
authorities are very sceptical in considering a total lock down in Sierra Leone for many
reasons. Sierra Leone capital city is Freetown from where every imported material or
commodity is found and nowhere else. It could mean that if there is a total lock down,
there will be more dead persons than what is dreamed to be prevented. Domestic water
is not sufficient at homes as over 60% of the population depend on well water and those
living on the hillside of Freetown cannot survive beyond 24 hours.

The containment strategies so far include sensitisation, hand washing, alcohol rub,
putting on cloth face mask. The government is taking her time to imposed total lock down
on the population. Until today, the nation has recorded 307 positive cases of which 222
cases are in isolation centres or treatment centres. At the moment, the government has
identified 34 military hospital, Chinese hospital, Lungi Government hospital as treatment
centres with a deplorable number of beds as the active cases are on the increase every
day.

Since last week, our head of State has been tested negative to covid-19 after the end of
his 14 days Isolation. He is bent on fighting the covid-19 spread, yet there is high political
tension prevailing within the country. The nation needs experts at this time, needs social
mobilisers that the people would accept message of behavioural change. What is more
disheartening is the social challenges prevailing in most part of the country where there
is no water, electricity and not even supermarkets to enable persons stay home longer
days and only go out to get food stuff. In this country of ours, 60% of the population are
daily fetchers, that is people who must go out to get some income to survive or feed their
respective families. How can this be solved? This is the biggest question. One may ask if
the government has no reserve to take care of a population of 7 million. The health system
is so weak again that mortality form other non-communicable and communicable disease
shall increase. What should we do?

As a hospital, we are receiving a daily increase in patients admitted into the General
Ward, Maternity and paediatric wards. We are happy with this trend as the hospital
remaining open will save many lives during this crisis and at the same time prevent many
deaths from occurring especially amongst children. The hospital continues to offer it
Primary health care services, Maternal Health Services, Women empowerment services,
surgical services, enforcement of Infection, prevention and Control interventions,
etc…We have strengthen the Infection, Prevention and Control structures by the
Provision of enough water supply to the hospital, electricity, masks, gowns, soap and
other cleaning agents. We have a good supply of essential drugs. The only challenge
now is the low number of patients comparatively to the months before the insurgence of
covid-19.

It is in our interest and the interest of the Hospitaller Oder of St. John of God to keep our
centres open at this time in need so that the health care of our population will be
guaranteed.

I am appealing to all people of good will to support us in any manner so as to continue
delivering health care to the most needed in our catchment.

God bless you All

Br. Michael M. Koroma
Hospital Director