By Mohamed T Massaquoi
District Medical Officer in Pujehun has expressed anger over the attitude of the Speaker of Malen Chiefdom, Robert Moigua, for flouting widely publicised bye-laws relating to burial procedures during the Ebola outbreak.
Dr. David Bome told Politico that the chief and other people were caught washing the dead body in his house without the knowledge of the district health management team (DHMT). He said two cases of Ebola had since been confirmed in the chiefdom and the father of those two people killed by Ebola was on the run.
The DMO said the death occurred at the community health center in Malen and that because his health workers failed to report the matter to the DHMT he had ordered the arrest of the Community Health Officer and his assistant. He said there were now 28 confirmed cases of Ebola in the whole of Pujehun district.
The community health officer, Robin Rogers, denied he approved the removal of the corpse for burial by the chiefdom speaker but admitted that he failed to inform the DHMT about the incident.
For his part, the Chiefdom Speaker Robert Moigua argued that the CHO handed the corpse to him for burial and that it was never forcefully removed. He said the CHO told them that the deceased was free of Ebola.
Pujehun district council chairman, Sadiq Silla, said he wouldn't “compromise with anybody who undermined the fight against Ebola”. He said the entire house should be quarantined for 21 days following which the chief must report to the police.
Meanwhile, the DMO had also confirmed that six of his staff were quarantined at the main government hospital following an incident in which an ambulance driver and a volunteer nurse, who had contracted the Ebola virus, continued to interact with health staff until the volunteer nurse died.
He said Zimmi, the Ebola epicenter in Pujehun district, had been stabilized and commended MSF and World Vision for their support to the district.
© Politico 30/10/14
