Freetown, Oct. 16, 015 (MOHS) – The Ministry of Health and Sanitation Lead for the Post Ebola Recovery phase and Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sarian Kamara on Friday October 16, 20015 presented updates on the Recovery operations to stakeholders in the health sector.
Presenting the current status of the Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC), Triage, Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH), Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, focusing on Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care and Basic Emergency Obstetric Care, Nutrition, HIV, TB, Malaria and the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) among others, Dr. Kamara called for tangible support devoid of duplication of efforts towards achieving the desired goal of the Ministry and the Recovery Team.
She noted that some donations to the districts are not properly channeled to the health facilities, and not judiciously utilized. She appealed to partners to help identify the gaps and constraints that would assist the team in forging ahead with the challenges.
Presenting the updates, Dr. Kamara ranked the IPC compliance at 65 percent, adding that 128 facilities were assessed for IPC with 90 trained health workers. Commenting on HIV, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer enumerated 1,614 defaulters, 3,844 total defaulters and 758 for those that recovered into care after a fellow up. She furthered that 1,663 survivors also had ophthalmic examination.
On the Triage, she told the meeting that 189 were targeted for November 2015 – January 2017 with 111 now assessed for possible completion. For WASH 82 facilities were assessed, targeting 240 hospitals, and peripheral health units to be upgraded between January – March 2017.
The National IPC Coordinator, Nana Sesay-Kamara in giving the objective of the IPC team’s visit said its aimed at exploring the readiness, preparedness of the health facilities, capacity of health care workers to identify any case of viral hemorrhagic fever and other emerging or re-emerging dangerous infectious diseases, pointing out that the only districts left to be assessed are Bonthe, Pujehun and Kailahun due to the challenging poor road conditions.
Presentation of photographs depicting the structure of a permanent Triage and waste management unit as designed by the ministry of health and sanitation among others formed high point of the meeting.