The first thing I would like to make clear before going into the story is to get the public to know that Isatu Sankoh did not deliver her baby at the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) commonly known as Cottage. The Stories from some Local tabloids that she gave birth at PCMH is totally untrue.
According to reliable sources, Isatu ran away from a quarantine home, resides at Mabela, and when eventually was in Labor was taken to the Mabela Health Centre on June 15, 2015 and at 1: am on June 16, 2015 delivered the baby. She arrived and triaged with Temperature of 34.2 which was normal for the nurse and was admitted and treated. She actually came with bleeding which was managed, stabilized and later referred to the PCM hospital when her condition became worse.
On arrival at PCM hospital at 12:15 pm, weak and helpless on June 16, 2015 she was treated as an emergency with 36.4 Temperature on average, blood transfusion done on June 17, 2015, and on June 19, 2015 Isatu started manifesting symptoms of Ebola with Temperature 38.8 which raised concerns for an urgent blood sample test that ended up to be positive for Ebola.
Earlier, when admitted, Isatu’s baby that was delivered at the Mabela Community Health Centre was brought to her for breast feeding by her Sister Adama Sankoh who when realized the seriousness of her sister’s condition had to return home with the baby. Isatu, physically weak, was later taken to the Kerry Town Treatment Centre. Unconfirmed sources say both the mother and baby have passed away.
The Medical Superintendent of the PCM hospital Dr. Alimamy Philip Kamara described the situation as unfortunate for his doctors and nurses who had contact with Isatu. He said they were in their protective gears, and very optimistic that they would come out with a negative result.
Knowing the tragedy the Ebola virus Disease has caused this nation, and the experiences gained by these health professionals, they therefore voluntarily gave up themselves for 21 days quarantine at the Hasting Police Training School Holding and Treatment Centre.
However, with the gallops in this story, I’m worried: The Ebola positive case ‘Isatu’, was taken to PCM hospital in a taxi, the Isatu in question had travelled from Port Loko to Magazine Wharf, from Magazine Wharf to Mabela, in a taxi to PCM hospital. What about the Nurse or Nurses that delivered her? Where they in full protective gears? What about the Sister Adama Sankoh, was she among those line listed for quarantine? With this episode, are we safe? Should there be complacency? These and many more questions are very vital for us all. Be you health worker, school teacher, trader, driver or journalist.
In the process of ending my story, let me hasting to give you the statics of the affected 46 staff from PCM hospital that voluntarily gave up themselves to be quarantined: Twenty (21) State Enrolled Community Health Nurses, Eight (8) Outpatient Nurses, Six (6) Student Nurses, Three (3) Pupil Nurses, Two (2) One (1) Midwife, One (1) Lab Technician, One Nursing Aide, One (1) Security, One (1) House Officer and one (1) Cleaner.
There is no way Shakespeare could have written those interesting and educative stories without contributions from Cithio, and as I take my leave from the wonderful town of northern Mateboi, I would like to express my gratitude to my sources at Sanda Taindarun for their invaluable contribution to this story. Please don’t ask me for their names because of obvious reason.
