Liberia: Denial, Mistrust, Recriminations Mar COVID-19 Fight in Nimba County amid Surge in Cases

Tappita, Nimba County – The fight against the deadly coronavirus disease in Liberia, like many countries in Africa and the world over has been hampered by shortage of materials needed to treat patients and contain the spread of the virus.

---

Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]

---

Although there is no cure available as of now, essential materials needed by health workers including protective personal equipment, ventilators, masks, testing kits, among others are always in minimal supply almost everywhere the virus has been reported.

But in Liberia, a country already with a fragile health system, not only the shortage of medical equipment and drug is impeding the fight against COVID-19. Other factors including denial, mistrust and recriminations are exacerbating the containment of the virus.

And recent developments in Nimba County, Liberia’s second populous region has proved to be the breeding ground for these vices that when not handled properly, could mark a deadly turn in Liberia’s already haphazard fight against a virus that have not only claimed some precious 16 or more lives and infested over 150 people in the country, but ravaging the globe and claiming thousands of lives.

According to the Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center, the number of global confirmed cases at the time of writing was 3,448,057 and 244,229 deaths.

Events Unfolding in Nimba

In Tappita, the region of Nimba County that is grappling with the Coronavirus,the Government has deployed huge number of anti-riot police to safeguard the Jackson F. Doe Hospital, patients and staff as well as to enforce the Government’s lockdown orders instituted to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The police include officers of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) and the Police Support Unit (PSU), two of the elite units within the Liberia National Police (LNP) trained to handle riots and other forms of violent civil disobedience.

The decision came as a result of some residents’ action on Friday, May 1, when they broke into the county’s quarantine center located in Tappita to celebrate with those in quarantine under the belief that the noble coronavirus disease is a hoax.

The residents, mostly women, upon hearing the news that Jeremiah Gayflor, the journalist who had earlier tested positive for the coronavirus has been released from the 14 Military Hospital, gathered in huge numbers to celebrate.

Live Facebook feeds showed the women, with no regard to social distancing, and with palm branches trooping in the 36-bedroom hotel rented by the government and currently holding dozens of suspected cases including the family of Gayflor.

At the center, they hugged and danced with those in quarantined. They also went to the radio station’s compound but were driven out by the journalists who are currently being quarantined at the station.

According to report, the residents’ action led the management of the Jackson F. Doe Referral Hospital to call for the deployment of state security to ensure the safety of the staff and patients.

Police’s Presence Instilling Fear among Residents

Meanwhile, the presence of the ERU and PSU officers in various parts of the city and the hospital is said to be instilling fear in the residents including patients seeking treatment at the facility.

Police Spokesperson, Moses Cater told reporters that the troop will be stationed in the area until the Government’s lockdown order is lifted.

The head of the Concerned Citizens’ Movement, Steve Demey, speaking to FrontPage Africa, blamed the hospital’s management for inflaming the situation.

According to Mr. Demey, by calling for troops to protect the hospital, the hospital’s management breached an agreement with the citizens to settle their differences among themselves.

Demey said although he is not in favor of the action of breaking in the quarantine centers, but those behind the incidents were women and most of them were friends and neighbors of Gayflor’s wife and other family members who were being quarantined at the center.

He said there was no threat made against any health workers and the matter would have been resolved amicably as most of the citizens were not in favor of the women’s action.

The presence of the police in various parts of Tappita and the hospital compound, he added is instilling fear among residents including patients seeking treat at the hospital.

“We had an agreement with JFD Management that we will always seek to resolve any differences among us, instead of going on social media or calling the attention any outsider,” he explained.

“For the hospital staff to go on social media and even called the Health Minister to send in officers was out of proportions. Because of the experience our people had with the AFL [Armed Forces of Liberia] that were deployed here during the goldmine disaster, they are now living in fear and even the presence of the security holding guns at the hospital may likely drive  patients away.”

But the Hospital’s Deputy Administrator, Ebenezer Strother, speaking to FrontPage Africa said there were ongoing consultations with local stakeholders including local officials, civil society groups and health authorities for a concerted effort in combating the deadly diseases when the women began taking to the streets and holding centers.

And it was at the moment that the Police Commander assigned in Tappita called on his bosses to deployed additional force to beef up security.

Mr. Strother clarified that the fight against COVID-19 is being spearheaded by the County’s Health Team and the World Health Organization (WHO), and is assisted by the hospital which provides the facilities and other forms of treatment.

He said although the hospital does not conduct COVID-19 test, most of the local residents are of the belief that it is falsely pronouncing people positive for the virus.

He termed the women’s action as frustrating and called for sustained awareness and improved relationship between residents and health workers for a successful fight against the virus.

He also denied report that eight of those in isolation escaped during the women’s melee. He said the previous batch of contacts of the index case have been released after serving their terms in quarantine.   

Government’s Slow to Act

Tappita Statutory District, is one of the largest districts in Nimba County. Portions of two electoral districts (Nimba Districts Six and Nine) are found within the Statutory District.

The Representative of District #6, Dorwohn Twain Gleekia, while condemning the actions of the residents, blamed the Government for ‘it slow response’ in setting up facilities to treat COVID-19 cases and suspected cases.

Rep. Gleekia, speaking to FrontPage Africa, explained that immediately following the pronouncement of the Nimba County’s index case, he began engaging health authorities at the Ministry of Health to set up precautionary observation centers (POC) as well as treatment centers in Tappita.

Rep. Gleekia said during the Ebola outbreak in 2014, there were facilities set up as Ebola treatment Unit (ETU), but now needed US$5,000 for renovation.

Despite continued negotiations with Health Minister Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah, the authorities have not released the fund to renovate the center.

 “I first of all condemn the action of my citizens, because I expected them to listen to me. I have talked with them, and I expected them to listen to me. But equally so, I fell that the government is slow. We are being slow to act.

“If the government had gone in and acted faster, if we have created more awareness and gathered the relevant resources, then I think some of these problems would have been mitigated.”

When contacted for response, Dr. Jallah could not be reached as her phone rang with no answer. She did not respond to FPA’s text messages also.

Poor Sensitization and JFD Hospital Blamed for Residents’ Denial  

Meanwhile, there are reports of widespread denial among residents of the area about the existence of the Coronavirus disease.

While some blamed the lack of awareness behind the residents’ doubts, others criticized the Jackson F. Doe Hospital for its ‘reckless’ handling of the county’s index and second COVID-19 cases.

A group of youth, under the banner Tappita District Youth Association, calling for the removal of the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Saybay Vanyanbah alleged that the hospital recklessly turned over the corpse of the county’s index case that was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital to the family for burial, thereby endangering the lives of the entire population.

The hospital also came under heavy criticism for discharging the county’s second case, while his specimen was still being tested in the laboratory.

FrontPage Africa has been informed that dozens of people who came in close contact with the county’s two previous cases refused to be tested for fear that they will be falsely pronounced positive.

Health officials say the situation is impeding the fight against the disease in the county.

Second Liberian Journalist Tested Positive

Meanwhile, on the back of all these hullabaloos, another journalist of the Voice of Tappita has been tested positive for the Coronavirus, bringing the number of Liberian journalists to have fallen prey to COVID-19 to two.

The patient, a male with a pre-existing health condition, is one of the longest serving reporters of the community radio station.

Unlike Gayflor who was taken to the COVID-19 treatment center at the 14 Military Hospital in Margibi County, the patient is currently in isolation at the Jackson F. Doe Referral Hospital.

Speaking to FrontPage Africa from his isolation room, the journalist said his specimen was taken on Sunday, April 26, 2020 and was informed on Friday, May 1, 2020 that he was tested positive for COVID-19.

Speaking further, he revealed that he is diabetic and although he was in good shape for now, he is worried over the treatment of his previous illness as most of the medicines are found outside of the hospital.

“I am a diabetes patient and I have been on regular treatment at the Hospital. They have been so helpful to me. But now that I am here and no means to get the drugs that the hospital doesn’t have, my biggest worry now is how am I going to get money to buy them,” he said.

When asked whether he will be transferred to the treatment center in Margibi, he said he has not been told but it appears that he will be   isolated at the hospital.

According to the World Health organization, the virus that causes COVID-19 infects people of all ages.

However, evidence to date suggests that two groups of people are at a higher risk of getting severe COVID-19 disease. These are older people- over 60 years old; and those with underlying medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer.

There are reports that the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia  (NPHIL) have put an end to the transfer of COVID-19 patients from outside of Montserrado and Margibi Counties to the 14 Military Hospital which has been the designated area for the isolation and treatment of COVID-19 cases in Liberia.

Although the report is yet to be confirmed by health authorities, the measure could be due to the rapid increase of new cases.

As of the time of writing, Liberia has recorded 154 confirmed cases, 48 recovery and 18 deaths.