By Crispina Taylor
The Sierra Leone army last week inaugurated a ‘Rapidly Deployable Treatment Center’ (RDTC) donated by the British government.
The facility will allow the medical unit of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) to respond rapidly in case of an outbreak of any infectious disease and provide treatment.
The British army, which is completing its mission to the country as part of the fight against the Ebola epidemic which erupted in 2014, facilitated the donation to the government of Sierra Leone.
The facility which comprises a total of 36 beds in all was on display at the Benguema Military Barracks in Waterloo on Thursday October 15, during the handing over ceremony. When assembled it will be six beds per tent.
Brigadier Charlie, the head of the British military Ebola response team in Sierra Leone, did the presentation. He said they recognized the capability of the Defense Medical Unit of RSLAF, hence the need to equip it with such a state of the art facility.
“I am happy to say Sierra Leone is the only country in the world with its own rapid deployable Isolation and treatment facility so I hope it will be taken care of,” he said.
Brigadier Charlie said a team of the British military contingent was expected in the country by November to replace his, and which will continue training of the RSLAF staff on operating the rapid deployable treatment facility.
The British Army had earlier donated six ambulances to the RSLAF. Four of those, according to officials, will be attached to the RDTC.
Chief of Defense Staff of RSLAF, Lieutenant General Samuel Omar Williams, was full of praises for the gesture, describing it as “a big help.”
“It shows that the military (RSLAF) is recognized if they are singled out,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer of NERC, Rtd Major Alfred Palo Conteh, also welcomed the gesture by the UK government.
Rtd Major Conteh said “A facility like this in the country would have been good for the Ebola outbreak in the country as it has everything it needs to diagnose and treat Ebola patience. I hope the country will make it through the countdown and hope Ebola does not come back, I and hope the chief of defense staff will look after the facility the way it should.”
The RDTC will be kept at the 34 Military Hospital at the Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown, according to RSLAF officials. It will be run by a team to be coordinated by Major Henry Bangura.
“The facility is more than equipped to fight Ebola or any other outbreak,” Major Bangura said at the inauguration ceremony.
He said his team of 114 men will include six doctors, clinicians, nurses and public health officials.
Doctor in charge of the deployable treatment center is Lieutenant Dr. Mohamed Boie Jalloh. He said: “This is what the military has been hoping for. This is what was needed when Ebola broke out in the country”.
(C) Politico Online 21/10/15
