El Hno. Michael nos ha mandado un nuevo informe en el que nos detalla la situación de Sierra Leona a raíz de la crisis provocada por el coronavirus y las dificultades que tienen tanto en el país como en el hospital de Mabesseneh/Lunsar para hacer frente, con ciertas garantías, a esta pandemia.

Si bien el número de caos de momento no es tan alarmante como en Europa, la falta de medios diagnósticos dificulta el poder detectar rápidamente los casos positivos. Ésto obliga a optar por medidas de seguridad y de protección que complica enormemente el trabajo cotidiano.

La alarma social también hace que los pacientes no vayan a los centros hospitalarios por el temor a contagiarse. Como consecuencia podemos ver un descenso de pacientes significativo del mes de mayo, comparado con el mes de mayo del año pasado.

También nos ha mandado fotos del hospital en las que se pueden apreciar las dificultades del día a día y las compartimos con todos vosotros.

Para finalizar nos agradece la ayuda recibida ya que con la falta de pacientes se resiente gravemente la economía del centro. Gracias a las donaciones se pueden mantener las actividades asistenciales internas y externas que lleva a cabo el Hospital.

Nuevos casos	4
En tratamiento	344
Recuperados	475
Muertes	46
Total confirmados	865
En cuarentena	2046
Fuera de cuarentena	4302
Por género	441 mujeres – 424 hombres
Distrito de Por Loko	18 (5 de Lunsar)

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A continuación compartimos el informe completo del Hno. Michael en su formato original:

UPDATE ON COVID-19 SPREAD IN SIERRA LEONE

Dear Friends,

Sierra Leone opened its Parliament today after a long Covid-19 recess. One may wonder what this signifies. As I write, the covid-19 situation has not improved at all. The population is still in the denial stage. Luckily for the population, the fatality rate is not high and exponential as we learnt about Europe and the Americas. Infact, the principal strategy that I have seen been implemented now is Suspicion when you attempt to present yourself in a hospital, and there you may be kept isolated and tested, if positive, your close contacts are traced and all quarantined and tested twice during the 14 days. The confirmed cases are managed in specific Covid-19 treatment centres identified in the country which are 34 Military hospital with a laboratory, Jui hospital with a laboratory, Kenema Government hospital with a laboratory and Lungi government hospital with a Laboratory. As at today, the active covid-19 isolated in these treatment centres are 398. The country is struggling with isolation beds and treatment beds. A lot of challenges with the quarantining of contacts in the communities.

The St. John of God Catholic Hospital, Lunsar and the Clinic at Lungi still remains open and continue to deliver Secondary, primary and social services in the catchment population around Lunsar and Lungi. We continue to engage our staff on compliance with the protocols of infection prevention. On Tuesday, one of our Staff, Fatmata Mansaray, passed away due to other chronic illness not related to covid-19. In the hospital, we are very concerned about identification of possible covid-19 patients as there are no testing possibilities at our disposal. Infact, for those whose samples are sent for analysis, it takes 48hours before confirmatory results are announced to the facility. The process is so slow and delays threatens our safety as the same personnel managing the suspects risk contaminating the other staff if the suspect is confirmed positive.

In Lunsar town, where the hospital is located, 5 persons have been confirmed positive and sent to the treatment centres. Their contacts have been quarantined. Despite the surveillance intervention, yet many of the persons quarantine are moving out in search of food and other commodities which are not provided to them. This situation again put the rest of the population in Lunsar at higher risks and us at the hospital.

We are very grateful to Fundacion R. Prado Pinto, Fundacion Heres, who have supported the hospital and clinic with drugs; thanks to the Hospitaller Order Covid-19 Crisis Committee who through them, the hospital has received protective materials and fuel for two-three months; thanks to Conferencia Episcopal Italiana, for the emergency support to the Hospital and Clinic by providing funds to get adequate materials and equipment related to covid-19 prevention and management and paying for the pregnant women deliveries during this critical period; thanks to children hospital of St. john of God, Barcelona and friends from Barcelona for raising funds to pay for the Sick children coming to the hospital and supporting malnourished children; thanks to Manos Unidas for providing support to train our staff and sensitise the local population on covid-19 preparedness and get enough hand washing equipment and protective materials for our centres and the communities around the hospital; thanks to Africa Viva Fundacion for the support to embark on community covid-19 sensitisation amongst women in our communities; thanks to Doctors of the World(ODW) and the staff of the St. John of God Hospital in Munic(Germany) for raising some funds to compliment paying staff salaries for May 2020, donating new hospital beds(60) to the hospital; thanks to Br. Brother Joseph and Benjamin Charity, USA., for funding the salaries of the two doctors in our hospital; thanks to Fundacion Probitas for supporting the PHC activities in our local communities. To all our friends, we say thank you to you all for making this possibility for the hospital to remain open and safe to our staff and the patients.

For the month of May, 2020, the hospital has been able to assist 348 patients at the General Consultations and 156 patients admitted. This is over 77% below the coverage of May 2019. It saddens us as we continue to function with the same fixed costs yet very little revenue.

God bless you All

Br. Michael M. Koroma
Hospital Director