By State House Communications Unit
As public and private sector institutions continue to ramp up efforts to contain the spread of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the country, President Ernest Bai Koroma on Wednesday 22nd October expressed appreciation and commended the level of commitment shown by citizens and well wishers to aid the fight against Ebola.
He described the efforts as a supreme sacrifice, especially so when such moves were being made to address the growing needs of the country during this critical time of the outbreak.
President Koroma explained that Ebola struck at a time when the country was busy developing the economy, strengthening peace and democracy. He pointed out that despite the heightened support by the international community, if citizens do not adhere to the precautions of health officials it will be difficult to contain the disease. Let us help ourselves even as people have come to help us, he said, and further encouraged all Sierra Leoneans to avoid exposing themselves to further infection, whilst noting that the process of caring for the dead and the sick had been identified as a major source of infection.
“Let us advise ourselves and take the necessary precautions,” he stressed, and reiterated the need for collaborative efforts to enhance the national approach to speedily contain the spread of the virus. With this, he expressed hope that in the not too distant future, Ebola will be a thing of the past.
As part of their effort to aid the fight against Ebola, the Civil Service of the Republic of Sierra Leone presented a cheque donation of Two Hundred and Eighty-Two Million, Fifty-Seven Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eighty Leones (Le 282, 057, 980). The Head of the Civil Service Dr Ernest Surrur described the outbreak as the most severe and acute public health emergency saying Ebola is more disastrous than the ten year civil war. He said even though the outbreak has accounted for the lives of workers, they will continue to support the government in the fight against Ebola.
The Fullah Progressive Union donated five containers of medical supplies, whilst the Chica Press donated One Hundred beds, cold rooms and five generators to boost the fight against Ebola. The Sayaba Enterprise, a clearing and forwarding agency also presented a cheque donation of Twenty Million Leones (Le 20,000,000) as part of their contribution towards the fight against Ebola. The president of the Development Mission Sheik Abu Bakarr Kamara made a cash donation of Forty Million Leones (Le 40,000,000) to support government fend off EVD in Sierra Leone.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Dr Samura Kamara on behalf of Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the US Bockarie Stevens and staff presented a cheque donation of Five Thousand Two Hundred United States Dollars (USD$5, 200). The Secretary General of the ruling All People Congress (APC) Party Ambassador Foday Yansaneh on behalf of Mustapha Koroma and Hassan Kamara presented a donation of One Hundred Bags of rice of 50kg each to support victims of the Ebola outbreak especially orphans and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. He said that the two Sierra Leonean philanthropists living in the United States are in the process of putting up a self funded good will foundation to continue to support the efforts of government.