Summary:
This operations update provides latest information from the operation and announces an added objective of clinical case management and the related bilateral expenses in the operational plan. A revision of the emergency plan of action is expected in the coming weeks.
In recognition of the unprecedented scope and scale of the disaster, on 25 July 2014, the IFRC Secretary General exceptionally approved 1 million Swiss francs from the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to pre-finance the urgent deployment of ERU personnel and equipment. These funds are immediately available to enable NS to deploy qualified personnel and appropriate equipment where they do not currently have in place the financial means to do so. It is expected that these funds will be replenished to the DREF.
The situation of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone is continuously fluctuating and people continue to die and be infected with the virus which has prompted an even further scaling-up of interventions by the government, international and national organisations including the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society. The Sierra Leone House of Parliament, On Thursday 7 August 2014, ratified the Presidential Proclamation of a State of Public Emergency in view of containing and eventually eradicating the Ebola virus disease out of Sierra Leone within 60 – 90 days. The Government continues to encourage the population to stay at their homes whilst emergency health messages are widely disseminated via television, radio, the print media etc.
In order to ensure compliance of temperature checking and regular hand washing in chlorine, police and military personnel have been deployed at various checkpoints in an effort to restrict movement to and from the Ebola epicentre in the districts of Kailahun and Kenema. Control mechanisms of transport (commercial transports and motorcycles) have been instituted in many parts of the country whilst public places such are night clubs and bars are under vigorous scrutiny. All main roads between Kailahun, Freetown and Kenema are closed to public transport except the essential services and government passes are required in order to move freely around the country. By-laws with heavy levies have also been enacted in Kailahun to limit stigmatisation. On 8 August 2014, the WHO declared the Ebola situation “a public health emergency of international concern”
The Basic Health Care Emergency Response Unit (ERU) has finally been allocated a plot of land, situated about 15 km from Kenema city for the construction a large-scale Ebola treatment centre. Work i.e. clearing and mobilisation of material and equipment have started and construction of the centre is expected to be operational by the by the beginning of September. In Kenema district, 24 ERU personnel have been deployed. The medical staff have been trained by WHO and MSF including specific training on the use of personal protective equipment. An ERU doctor, two nurses and three WatSan staff are currently receiving training on Ebola treatment from MSF in Kailahun Care Management Centre. More ERU personnel (doctors, architect and telecommunication specialists are expected in Freetown in the coming days).
ERU personnel for the clinical case management has been deployed by the Australian, British, Columbian, Finnish, New Zealand, Norwegian, Spanish and Swiss Red Cross. In total, Spanish Red Cross has allocated 650,000 EUR to this activity, 500,000 from its own emergency relief funds and 150,000 EUR from AECID
As the Ebola caseload in Sierra Leone is still increasing, the current emergency plan of action is being updated and a revised emergency appeal is planned in the coming weeks, increasing scope and timeframe of the IFRC supported SLRCS response to the crisis.