Sierra Leone discharges Sankoh, last Ebola patient

August 25, 2015 – The last Ebola patience in Sierra Leone, Adama Sankoh, a palm oil trader was on Monday released from confinment after she was confirmed to have tested native to Ebola Virus Disease(EVD).

She was discharged from the Makheni Ebola treatment unit with a lot of funfare.

She was surrounded by health workers, singing, dancing and clapping their hands. Speaking at a ceremony, President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, described Madame Sankoh’s release as “the beginning of the end of Ebola.”

“Ebola nor don yaet” (Ebola is not yet finished) the President told Madame Sankoh as he handed her a certificate confirming that she was now negative for Ebola virus.

He asked Madame Sankoh to remind her friends and family to call the Ebola hotline immediately if anyone in their community develops symptoms of Ebola or dies at home.

Sankoh told the gathering that she had learned about the disease the hard way, adding that she knows that safe burial and thorough handwashing is essential for protection against Ebola virus disease.

President Koroma said Ebola could not be considered over until every country in the ‘sub-region’ made up of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone had gone 42 days with no case after the last confirmed case had been discharged from treatment or, if they had died, safely buried.

Representatives of World Health Organisation (WHO)in Sierra Leone, Dr Anders Nordström described the development as an important milestone for Sierra Leone. “But the hard work that got Sierra Leone to this point has to continue. Surveillance, searching for cases, notifying any deaths in the community, testing anyone with Ebola symptoms, all must continue intensively. And the community involvement that has led us to this point must continue as well,” he said.