Fodei called on Sunday with great news! The village has just received a letter from the Ministry of Health notifying them that the Maternal and Child Health Center is officially approved. The nurse assigned to the facility was already visiting when he called. There will be both a nurse and a dispenser (pharmacist) on staff. A list has been made of the furnishings that are already on hand and the Ministry will add whatever equipment and supplies are available. We will then take stock and see whether there is a need for additional supplies and/or equipment that we can help provide. What a cause for celebration! This facility grew out of a request from the women of the town, and their vision is about to be realized. The years of hard work and persistence from all the villagers has been rewarded.
It will be about a month before the facility opens its doors. This week Fodei will go to Kenema and arrange for the solar technician to come and put the finishing touches on the solar system. Also this week, a third attempt is being made to dig a well for the facility. The first two attempts were blocked by a very large stone formation, but the third site appears to be the charm -- they are already deeper than the point at which they hit rock before, and have met no obstacles. Fodei expects them to reach water within a day or two..
The number of total Ebola cases in the country has been dramatically lowered over the past few weeks, a welcome relief. However, there are still a steady number of cases and deaths being reported weekly, with spikes in some areas, mostly near Freetown. And last week, the Vice President put himself into quarantine because one of his bodyguards became infected and died of Ebola. Further, as vigilance recedes elsewhere, the possibility of someone traveling upcountry and inadvertently starting a new round of cases becomes a greater concern. The teams' recent return to all 30 of the outreach villages to reemphasize vigilance is comforting in that respect. Schools are scheduled to begin reopening at the end of the month, though it is not clear whether students will yet be truly safe by that point.
Danger and celebration -- both infuse daily life in Sierra Leone. You accept the dangers even as you fight them, and celebrate the small victories.
S.C.
It will be about a month before the facility opens its doors. This week Fodei will go to Kenema and arrange for the solar technician to come and put the finishing touches on the solar system. Also this week, a third attempt is being made to dig a well for the facility. The first two attempts were blocked by a very large stone formation, but the third site appears to be the charm -- they are already deeper than the point at which they hit rock before, and have met no obstacles. Fodei expects them to reach water within a day or two..
The number of total Ebola cases in the country has been dramatically lowered over the past few weeks, a welcome relief. However, there are still a steady number of cases and deaths being reported weekly, with spikes in some areas, mostly near Freetown. And last week, the Vice President put himself into quarantine because one of his bodyguards became infected and died of Ebola. Further, as vigilance recedes elsewhere, the possibility of someone traveling upcountry and inadvertently starting a new round of cases becomes a greater concern. The teams' recent return to all 30 of the outreach villages to reemphasize vigilance is comforting in that respect. Schools are scheduled to begin reopening at the end of the month, though it is not clear whether students will yet be truly safe by that point.
Danger and celebration -- both infuse daily life in Sierra Leone. You accept the dangers even as you fight them, and celebrate the small victories.
S.C.
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