I waited with this appeal until there was some more certainty as to how
Welbodi Partnership will continue its response to the Ebola outbreak. We have a
small team of national staff on the ground and I plan to return to Freetown
soon to resume my role with Welbodi at the Children’s hospital.
I
will spend the first week doing a needs assessment, discussing with hospital staff
and partner organisations to see what the needs are and how Welbodi can help
fill some of the gaps. This may include coordination and logistics and making
sure that ‘general’ medical care can be provided to children who do not have
Ebola, while ensuring staff safety. At the same time we want to work towards a
long-term goal of health system strengthening – improving standards at the
hospital to improve the quality of health care delivery and so that outbreaks
like this can be prevented and contained in the future.
We simply cannot know with certainty what will be needed a few days from
now, let alone months down the line, as Sierra Leone works to contain and then
recover from this outbreak. What we do know is that the principles by which we
have always operated—particularly the principles of partnership, and our
recognition that health facility staff are often the best judges of what kinds
of support they need—still hold during this emergency and its aftermath.
We are therefore raising an emergency fund to support initiatives
proposed and implemented by staff on the ground. We will work with staff to
develop and implement these ideas, and will coordinate with the MOHS and with
other NGO partners, particularly those with expertise in Ebola prevention and
control. We envision that these initiatives might include efforts to
train health personnel in infection control, provide protective equipment,
improve the waste management system, provide other supplies needed to promote
infection prevention on the wards or in areas such as the laboratory and
pharmacy and contribute to the general improvement of the hospital. In the long
run, there will be a great need for strengthening health systems and rebuilding
trust in the health facilities and among communities.
We would be grateful for your support—whether by donating funds or
spreading the word. You can donate online here,
or contact us to find out how you can help.
Thank you.
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