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Sierra Leone: China Intensifies Their Efforts Against Ebola
Updated: 2014/09/17 Source: AllAfrica.com
The Chinese Ambassador Zhao Yanbo on behalf of the Chinese government on 15th September, 2014 provided a mobile laboratory and announced the arrival of 59 medical experts to intensify earlier efforts in the fight against the Ebola virus.
Since the Ebola outbreak in the country, the Chinese government had been working closely with the government of Sierra Leone to containing the spread of the outbreak.
President Koroma described the gesture as a great contribution towards the national fight against Ebola as they had already donated airlifted equipment, personnel, medication and funds to help with the Ebola fight.
The President also said that the contribution is very significant as the Chinese government was coming in with health personnel that are already experts in the management of such crisis and disease.
He stated that the 39 Medical officers that had agreed to position at the Jui Hospital will be a big relief as the country is under immense pressure in terms of the numbers of people that are infected, particularly to have a treatment centre almost immediately within Freetown and its environs.
In further appreciating the efforts of the Chinese Government, President Koroma said that China has been very supportive whilst expressing optimism that with all of these efforts very soon Ebola will be a thing of the past.
He explained that with experts coming in, it would create an opportunity to Sierra Leonean medical officers to learn on how to manage both at the treatment centres and other social mobilization areas.
The President thanked the Chinese government for the Thirty-Three Million Dollars sub-regional pronouncement of which Ambassador Yanbo said that half of it will be given to Sierra Leone because of the cordial bilateral relations between the two countries.
The Chinese Ambassador in making his presentation said that the coming of the 59 medical experts was as a result of the dire need of both the medical team and the medical resources that are needed in this fight.
Ambassador Yanbo further explained that 29 of those medical officers are Lab Technicians, whilst the remaining 40 have worked in the China Sierra Leone Medical Hospital at Jui.
He went on to state that 29 experts flew in from the China Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the other 30 are from the 302 Military Hospital in China.
Ambassador Yanbo stated that the team is specialized in infectious disease treatment as they had worked during the 2003 Sars outbreak in China and their experience will be a great contribution to containing the epidemic.
The medical experts will initially work in Sierra Leone for a period of six months.
Mr. Yanbo registered his commitment to closely work and coordinate with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and further encouraged the Chinese medical team to work very hard in containing the outbreak.