PHOTO: Dr. Adolphus Yeiah
By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- As cases of the Coronavirus pandemic continue to soar across the Country, Bong County Health Officer, Dr. Adolphus Yeiah has called for collaboration with communities to enhance the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the County.
“With the increased number of confirmed cases of the virus across the county, there is a need for Bongese to continue observing the health measures,” Dr. Yeiah said.
With the collaboration of communities in the County, citizens can defeat the virus, the Bong County Health Officer added.
Speaking to Journalists in the central city of Gbarnga recently, Dr. Yeiah emphasized that Liberia’s health system has been negatively impacted by years of major crises, ranging from the civil war to the Ebola epidemic, and now the Coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, August 10, 2020, ten new confirmed COVID-19 cases were recorded in Liberia, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1, 250, with the number of deaths rising to 81. In just 24 hours earlier, the total number of deaths was at 79, according to the National Public Health Institute (NPHIL) August 9, 2020 Update.
He is worried that the current health crisis is causing communities to “not have trust in the country’s health system,” like what occurred during the Ebola outbreak in 2014, when certain people resisted health workers from coming into their communities.
Dr. Yeiah recalled that during the outbreak of the Ebola in the county, community members expressed fear of seeking treatment at various health facilities on grounds they could be tested positive of the virus.
Concerted efforts and immense awareness can allay the fears of people, giving them renewed confidence in the health system, the Bong County Health Officer said.
Dr. Yeiah then attributed the increase in the number of confirmed cases to the tendency of people to still be living in denial of the virus, including the lack of adequate community engagement, among others.