Gbarnga, Bong County – The integrity of Bong County Health Team has been drawn into question after it reported Thursday that an elderly man is the county’s third death resulting from COVID-19. According to Bong County Health Officer, a third person is a 49-year-old man who died at the Phebe Hospital this week.
Report by Selma Lomax, [email protected]
Dr. Adolphus Yeiah, said the man, who had underlying health issues, was travelling to Monrovia from Ganta when he fell sick before he was rushed to the Phebe Hospital, where he later died.
He didn’t release any additional details about the victim out of respect for him and his families.
Dr. Yeiah said specimen of the man was sent to Monrovia and came back positive. The latest death has no association with the first and second confirmed cases, Dr. Yeiah said.
In recent days, all three confirmed cases reported by the county health team have been associated with dead bodies.
Last week, the county health team announced its first two deaths related to COVID-19 – the first was a 52-year-old resident of Sugar Hill community in Gbarnga who died at his home and second was a 65-year-old man who died at Phebe Hospital.
The county health team later confirmed that the two persons died of COVID-19 after their specimen came back positive.
‘Why only dead bodies being tested positive?’
In an interview with FrontPage Africa Thursday, many residents appeared not to be convinced that the deaths of the three confirmed cases in the county linked to COVID-19.
Many residents in the county think that the decision of the county health team to link confirmed COVID-19 cases to dead bodies is a “big scam” and an attempt to create an emergency in the county and siphon public money.
A middle-aged respondent confidently told FrontPage Africa: “No one has the virus in Bong County. There is no trace for the so-called confirmed cases. It’s an opportunity to enrich themselves.”
Joshua Kollie, a resident of Sugar Hill community, said the county health team is gradually losing its respect among residents of the county due to what he called questionable deaths associated with COVID-19.
“To date, the index case is still questionable to many because this person had been suffering from heart failure for a long period of time, and to have linked his death to COVID-19 raises doubts among not only the family but people who knew him well,” Kollie said.
He added: “So, our confirmed cases in Bong County can only be linked with dead bodies?” This is a scam by the county health team.”
“Can you just show me anybody you’ve seen living with COVID-19 or families of those who died as a result of the virus? They (government and county officials) just keep announcing figures and they will never show you victims of this virus”, said one of Sugar Hill resident, interviewed by FrontPage Africa.
Isaac Smith, a resident of Millionaire Quarter community in Gbarnga who claimed to be a relative of the deceased told our reporter: “The person had been experiencing heart problems for the last four years and to say that he died of COVID-19 is a biggest joke I have ever heard about in my life.”
“I think this is an attempt by the County Health Team to get donor funding.”
Seven out of 10 residents who were interviewed by our reporter, took the same position, saying “the confirmation from the County Health Team that the 52-year-old died of COVID–19 is a scam thing.”
This situation seems to cause the county health team much pain to the extent it is weeping over prejudice that even the elites have about the existence of the virus. Dr. Yeiah believes elites of the county ought to support the fight against the pandemic by educating other members of the public.
He is therefore seeking stronger ties with the media in the war against the pandemic especially in informing, educating, and sensitizing of the members of the public.
Speaking to FrontPage Africa, Bong County superintendent Esther Walker, said, “I plead with residents of the county and other journalists in the county to assist the county and the county health team deal with the issue of prejudice even among residents”.
Yes, the media has really contributed hugely to the success rate we have achieved in the fight against this pandemic but we want efforts intensified in this regard, she said.
She added that county authority and the county health team will establish isolation center on Phebe Compound with the medical personnel well taken care of, which she said will be a proof of pro-activeness in combating the pandemic.
She wondered why people would demand to be shown the COVID-19 dead, just to convince them that the disease exists in the country.
“If the victims were their family members, would they want their names to be announced or shown to the public. The truth is that the family of the victims in the country know themselves and they cannot say that COVID–19 is a scam,” she said.
Continuing, she said, “When we say social distancing, even myself, I miss the shaking of hands with my friends. I miss the number of people that ought to gather here (event) but are restricted because of COVID-19.”
She advised the citizens to understand that they are not wearing face masks because of the security man enforcing face mask order. You protect your interest first before that of another person. You need to protect yourself for the sake of your family, she added.
While calling on journalists not to see their position as members of the fourth estate of the realm, as an accident, urged them to continually see it as an opportunity to assist in building the society through developmental journalism.