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Sierra Leone

Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) addresses key issues and challenges on the outbreak

Freetown, Aug. 25, 014 (MOHS) – The Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has highlighted key issues and strategies relating to the current situation of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in the country.

The EOC in a bid to field test its monitoring team strategy and check list implemented in the Port Loko district, recently commissioned the Director of Primary Health Care, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Momodu Sesay on a mission to implement the findings and recommendations by the Monitoring Team.

Noting the growing trend of the disease in the Port Loko district, the Surveillance Team was mandated to rationalize and normalize data with a view to showing the clear disease trends for accurate decision making.

The EOC in its efforts to strengthen case management also approved the involvement of the Emergency Hospital at Goderich in co-managing a Treatment Centre.

The Centre, noting the strategic importance of two professional medical organizations, has accepted representatives from the Sierra Leone Medical and Dental Association and the West African College of Physicians.

Major achievements in the fight against the Ebola, according to the EOC News Bulletin include the setting up of the Medicines San Francaise (MSF) Treatment Centre in Bo, expected to be in full operation on August 28, 2014. Also on the pipeline is the Red Cross Treatment Centre to be operational soon in Kenema.

Contact tracing is one major tool in the fight to contain the Ebola disease, and the WHO in complimenting government’s efforts have made available Six Senior Epidemiologists to support contact tracing and surveillance. The Centre for Disease Control Laboratory has arrived and being set up in Kenema to support the government laboratory.

Highlight of the challenges include human resource problem with limited Senior Clinicians and support staff willing to work in Treatment and Isolation Units, the need for the deployment of International or National Expertise in clinical management and infection prevention, and logistics and vehicles constrain.

Meanwhile, the EOC has bid Dr. Jacob Mufunda, former WHO Country Representative farewell at a ceremony held at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in Freetown. The newly appointed WHO is now Dr. Daniel Kertez.

JAK/PRO/KK/MOHS