Ebola Overwhelms Health Facilities In Sierra Leone

A health worker says the country is not able to cope with the current Ebola outbreak that has so far claimed more than 800 lives in West Africa.

“Still we have unsafe burials; people who are doing the burial without disinfection of the body; still we have patients who are hiding themselves; still we have patients or contacts of patients who are running away because they are afraid,” said Anja Wolz, an emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders.

“I think that the government and the ministry of health here in Sierra Leone is not able to deal with this outbreak. We need much more help from international organizations such as WHO and CDC among other organizations to come to support the government,” added Wolz.

Sierra Leone is one of the countries that have been hardly hit by the outbreak of the virus in West Africa.

The World Health Organization has reported that the outbreak in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria has so far infected 1,603 people and killed more than 887 this year alone.

The United States has however promised to send 50 health experts to West Africa to help contain the outbreak.

The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Tom Frieden said the 50 experts will work to combat the outbreak and help implement stronger systems to fight the disease.

“It will take many months, and it won't be easy, but Ebola can be stopped," he said. "We know what needs to be done,” added Frieden

World Bank is also committed to fighting the deadly disease after it promised to build public infrustructures in the three most affected nations.

The virus has already been confirmed outside of the three main countries and is now a global concern which nations are fighting to contain.

By Morgan Mueke