Africa Focus: China's aid to eradicate Ebola in Sierra Leone is exemplary

Chinese assistance to the west African state of Sierra Leone, one of the Ebola hit countries, since the outbreak of the disease has been highly acclaimed by health workers and the entire populace.

China was one of the first countries to respond to the President Ernest Koroma's call for assistance on the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in the country.

The Chinese contribution has been very instrumental because they came in not only in time but with no strings attached.

The assistance has been highly immense stretching from the immediate despatch of three mobile labs for speedy testing of blood samples to Personal Protective gears together with essential drugs as well as medical personnel from the China Disease Control team.

In one of his several statements during the outbreak of the Ebola disease, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone Zhao Yanbo said China will not relent until the last case of Ebola is eradicated in the country.

He said "even if there is one case in the country, we will not relent and we will not stop our effort until we see the end of Ebola".

Some 3,000 Sierra Leoneans have succumbed to the virus but not withstanding, China played its part in the reduction of the disease to the extent that at the outbreak of the Ebola virus Sierra Leone was ill prepared to address the virus so the prompt response by despatching of the mobile labs helped considerably in reducing the avenue of the response time for results as in earlier occasions patients.

The mobile labs have detected some 8,000 blood specimens and swabs which normally had to be taken about 400 kilometers in the East of the country for testing.

According to the President, Chinese aid to developing countries has no strings attached and it is significant, by the numerous support the country has received from the Chinese.

Just recently the Chinese government fulfilled a promise to the country by constructing an " ultra modern, state of the earth" permanent bio- safety lab for the detection of the Ebola virus but also to be used in the detection of other infectious disease.

According to the Ambassador, the lab constitutes modern high- tech facility capable of performing its functions in record time and with the availability of the required experts to properly handle the lab, it will be "a catalyst for the development in the country's public health system".

To add to this the government received a huge consignment of medical supplies as support from the Chinese government to finally kick Ebola out of the country.

The supplies include 40 ambulances, 10 pick up vans, 30 motorbikes as well as 100 beds among others.

Zhao Yanbo described the gifts as another milestone in the China-Sierra Leone relationship, noting that all the gifts to Sierra Leone is " coming from the hearts of the people of China".

The President noted that the relation between China and Sierra Leone spans about 40 years and since then most of the developments in the country could be attributed to the Chinese government and people noting that the assistance "is visible with no strings attached".

He explained that China has been standing "shoulder to shoulder" since the outbreak of the Ebola virus by sending about five plane loads of medical supplies and drugs which contributed immensely in the fight against the virus and to a greater extent in bringing the figures down.

Currently the Chinese have 120 medical personnel in town that have been working assiduously to end Ebola in the country.

Maseray Mansaray, 35, an Ebola survivor told Xinhua that "the Chinese doctors contributed to helping me survive the Ebola virus".

She said "I was brought to the Jui hospital manned by Chinese doctors unconscious and my relatives had given up hope but the expertise and the care I received from the medical staff from China contributed to making me survive,

"I owe my healing to the Chinese team, for which I am very grateful," she said.

The Chinese aid to fight the Ebola scourge could be described as about the largest aid exercise in health care programme the Chinese have made to any developing country, its assistance has been intermitent to the extent that the Health Minister of Sierra Leone, Abu bakarr Fofanah, whilst receiving a consignment of medical equipments noted that almost every week China was coming with medical aid. Endi