Via Awareness Times, a September 3 report: As Connaught Nurses Assured of PPE: Freetown Threat of Ebola Catastrophe Keeps Rising Daily!
Incidences of Ebola Cases in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown have continued to rise on a daily basis.
On Tuesday 26th August, Freetown had 45 cases
27th August saw 4 new cases totalling 49 cases
28th August saw 11 new cases totalling 60 cases
29th August saw 4 new cases totalling 64 cases
30th August saw 4 new cases totalling 68 cases
31st August saw 9 new cases totalling 77 cases
1st September saw 2 new cases totalling 79 cases
2nd September saw 7 new cases totalling 86 cases
This means within just one week, number of cases in Freetown, has virtually doubled from 45 to 86.
Freetown nurses have meanwhile undertaken a sit-down strike this week following the death of Nurse Hajara Sheriff after contracting the Ebola disease in Freetown. Both State Registered Nurses (SRN), State Enrolled Community Health Nurses (SECHN) and Volunteer Nurses have on 1st September 2014 staged a peaceful strike within Freetown’s Connaught Hospital to register dismay over a variety of issues including non-payment of their risk allowances and lack of adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).
A swift intervention by senior officials including the newly nominated Deputy Minister of Health & Sanitation II, Ms. Madina Rahman, who is herself a trained nurse, however saw the nurses agreeing to resume duties.
The nurses had been particularly incensed with the hospital administration for failing to make a formal announcement of the death of Nurse Hajara Sheriff, who according to them risked her life in treating a patient without adequate protective gears only for the patient to turn out to be an Ebola patient.
Addressing the aggrieved nurses, Deputy Minister Madina Rahman passionately and eloquently sympathized with the nurses for the loss of their colleague. She then unveiled the new package of incentives allowances designed by Government for nurses. She appealed to them to go to work as their concerns, especially with regards provisions of adequate PPEs will be addressed soonest.
Also addressing the angry nurses was the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Brima Kargbo and his Deputy, Dr. Sarian Kamara. At end of all deliberations, nurses agreed to resume work with a new weekly incentive of Le500,000 [US$114].
