24 Feb 2015 Reopening of the Saint Benedict Menni Health Center of Monrovia is delayed until April

Although the initial deadlines seemed realistic for the possible opening of the Sisters Hospitallers Health Center earlier this year in the capital of Liberia, the country’s dire situation has been an obstacle and the construction delay does not allow for activity to be resumed –which was interrupted last August by the outbreak of Ebola– until next April the 1st.

While the rate of transmission of the virus has fallen, there are still cases of Ebola infection and it still poses a risk to the population and health professionals. On the other hand, a significant decrease in financial support from the international community has taken place, which is a reason for concern.

The Aita Menni Hospital works to publicize the country’s situation and the needs of the Community of the Sisters Hospitallers in Monrovia, and tries to raise money to help local people. Individuals wishing to make a financial contribution to our Liberian cooperation project, “We are like you” can make donations using the account number Laboral Kutxa ES52 3035 0001 58 0010126592.

Construction and needs

The reopening of the Benedict Menni Health Center is part of the action undertaken by the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH&SW) for the reconstruction of the National Health System. The Sisters Hospitallers closely monitor the construction work that is being undertaken in Paynesville, near Pipeline Road. To this end, Sister Begoña Pérez, mother superior of the province of the congregation in England, has been transferred to Monrovia,. The necessary construction work consists of:

• Construction of triage for the classification of all types patients.
• Construction of the Community Care Center (CCC) for referral of patients to specific Ebola treatment units.
• Electrical and water outlets for the CCC
• New water installation for the health center, supplied from the house of the Sisters Hospitallers.
• Review of the electrical system (battery replacement and addition of a new generator)

For the reopening of the CCC, the following investments are required:

• New solar cells for the clinic
• New solar batteries for the children’s center
• Solar panels and batteries for the CCC
• A new generator for electricity supply to the health center, to the parish and, from now on, to the CCC and triage
• a new vehicle, since the current one is out of order. The ambulance is currently the only means of transportation and it should be set aside for care use.

Ebola in Liberia today

The World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet declared Liberia free of the outbreak. However, according to data from the Liberian Ministry of Health, the country has seen a clear decline in the levels of viral transmission.

Meanwhile, public institutions wish to establish ‘normalcy’ in Liberia. The opening of borders with Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry became effective on February the 22nd, along with the lifting of the curfew imposed by the government of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as a measure to contain the epidemic. With temperature controls and hand washing as generic standards of hygiene and prevention, schools reopened their doors on February the 16th.

In its latest update, WHO confirmed two new cases in Liberia during the week of February the 15th, in which a total of 52 new cases of Ebola occurred in Guinea and 74 in Sierra Leone. According to WHO, the virus has killed 9,365 people in West Africa; 3,900 in Liberia, 3,408 in Sierra Leone and 2,057 in Guinea and there have been total of 23,218 infections (confirmed, probable and suspect); 11,103 in Liberia, 9,007 in Sierra Leone and 3,108 in Guinea.