From My Diary: How prepared are we?

For now, the drum beats of the horrors of the Ebola war may seem to us here, as a distant sound that does not disturb until one is willing to listen. For now, there is every reason to believe that Ebola exists; it is relentless and indeed scaring because it kills.

Adding more to this desperation, world health experts say in the three West African countries; Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the monster is virtually becoming beyond control. According to reports the combined death toll of six hundred people dead in the first two months, the number has risen to more than two thousand within the last one month. By this development it is no longer just a distant sound, but a near-imminent reality.

A number of precautionary measures have been prescribed and are being put into practice. One of these is the closure of borders and assuring adequate health checks at entry points into neighbouring or even distant countries. Cameroon is certainly being very enthusiastic and vigilant in complying with these measures.

One will appreciate governments’ concern, knowing fully well-that a few cases have been reported next door, our neighbour Nigeria. The least display of negligence on the part of those who are expected to play a major role in sheltering this nation away from the ragging storm of Ebola must pay the price.

So far government’s actions remain commendable in the area of prevention. One will still believe that not much is being done to prepare the ground for a face-to-face confrontation with the enemy if and when, by any misfortune the enemy infiltrate our territory.

First it is important now, before trends change to prepare special and relative facilities in our existing hospitals and health centres and not wait for the last moments of rush hour as it is happening in those countries where the killer disease took them by surprise.

In Liberia for instance, the number of victims has overwhelmed the authorities. In most cases victims are sent back only to die. On the other hand health workers are abandoning their jobs for fear of infection, just because of the lack of protective kits. Some have even been infected and died.

In other areas some health workers have been attacked and even killed by locals, who claim that the health workers are the ones spreading the diseases. In this case, it is the lack of sensitisation of the local people who still do not believe in the existence of Ebola.

Recently our Minister of Health toured some parts of the country to launch the yellow fever vaccine. It is an opportunity also to launch a special health campaign to make people understand that Ebola exists and that some rudimental sanitation practices that can help prevent the attack are made public.

By this we may be lucky to escape the scourge, but most unfortunate is also the mentality setting of some of our hospital workers. The growing tendency of medical workers engaging in private business in drugs may not be a complementary practice in the face of such a combative enemy as the Ebola we are hearing of.

Nurses should take cognisance of their oaths in office. They should understand that treating a patient with some humane concern often serve as a primary healing process on its own.

These and other lukewarm attitudes of our health services make us wonder whether we are deeply prepared to contain this killer disease if by any misfortune it selects our door steps as its next stop.