By Hassan Ibrahim Conteh
Don Bosco Fambul is planning to construct a therapeutic centre designed for the treatment of mental disorders related to the effect of the Ebola virus disease, the children’s charity has said.
An official told Politico that the center will be built at Russell Village which is just a few miles from Waterloo in the Western Rural District.
Samuel Bojohn, Deputy Director of Don Bosco Fambul, said they have already acquired some 30 acres of land for the project. He said the construction is expected to complete within the next three years.
“It will be a novelty to get a therapy centre,” Bojohn said in an interview, noting that this will be the first such facility in the country.
Don Bosco runs one of the leading children’s shelters in the country, providing support to hundreds of homeless and abused children. The German-headquartered Catholic funded organization has been operating in Sierra Leone for over a decade.
Bojohn said the therapeutic centre will reduce the huge cost involved in transporting patients for the treatment of ‘critical surgical operations’ overseas.
“Instead of us flying patients to other countries for treatment, we deem it fit that we should ourselves construct a therapy centre here.”
Bojohn said they will bring in experts such as psychiatrists, therapists and psychologists to train local nurses and other medical personnel on the treatment of mental illness.
Last year Don Bosco constructed an Interim Care Centre (ICC) at its branch in Lungi, mainly to provide counseling to Ebola surviving orphans and children. 58 children were eventually reintegrated to their different communities from the ICC, as part of the charity’s rehabilitation programme which lasted for seven months. From this, Bojohn said, Don Bosco conducted a survey which revealed that children who survived the Ebola disease were prone to problems of mental deformity.
Bojohn said though that the psychotherapy facilities would not be exclusively limited to children alone. He said they would also be open to adults who might need the services.
Ebola virus disease survivors have been reported to be confronting series of health issues, including mental problems.
“Even the social workers will be in need of the services in the event they get sick,” said Bojohn.
(C) Politico 05/04/16
