A delegation from Liberia yesterday arrived in Sierra Leone by road to help fight Ebola in the country. Led by Montserrado County member of the House of Representatives, Saah H. Joseph, the 20-member team of nurses, hygienists, Ebola Treatment Unit managers and contact-tracers came with three ambulances to join the fight.
“We brought three fully loaded ambulances and we are here to join our brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone to fight against the deadly Ebola virus” the House member told Politico.
“We know we can never be 100 % free until our brothers and sisters in our neighbouring countries are free from this virus” he said.
Liberia was the hardest-hit of the three Ebola-ravaged countries which include Guinea and Sierra Leone but has been able to turn things around reporting single digit weekly new infections.
“Liberia and Sierra Leone have a long history…During the crisis in Liberia and Sierra Leone there were Liberian refugees here…in fact I happened to be one of the refugees that lived in Sierra Leone for 15 years” he said. He lived at the Waterloo Refugee Camp and attended the Peninsula and Huntingdon secondary schools in Waterloo and Jui respectively.
“This time the people of Liberia have come in a different form and manner [and] we brought in Sierra Leone ambulances not arms,” the Liberian House representative said, in apparent reference to the rebel war in Sierra Leone having entered the country from Liberia.
He said the 20-member crew “are here to work with the government of Sierra Leone [and] we are going to fall under the command. Our goal is to follow the instruction [of the Sierra Leonean authorities]”.
They are part of a group called First Responders who have proved effective in the fight against Ebola in their native Liberia and they work 24 hours daily.
“First Responders coming to Sierra Leone will be a great opportunity for the people of SL to see the difference. I can assure you that within two weeks, with the action of First Responders and the task force here, you’re going to see a lot of changes”, he said.
© Politico 13/01/15
