172 Million RwF is total amount given by Liquid Telecom Rwanda to the Ministry of Health Rwanda to tackle Ebola. The event happened yesterday 4th Nov 2014 and the large ceremonial cheque was officially handled over by Sam Nkusi, Chairman Liquid Telecom Rwanda to the Hon. Minister of Health, Dr. Agnes Binagwaho.
The Hon. Minister expressed her gratitude to Liquid Telecom Rwanda as the first private company to support Government’s efforts to fight Ebola and urged other private sector companies to emulate this example as Ebola is now a global issue that requires the collaboration of all sectors.
Dr. Binagwaho added that so far, Rwanda has spent 400 million francs to prepare almost 300 isolation centers and to train health personnel in all districts in preparedness of Ebola response in the country.
Sam Nkusi, Chairman Liquid Telecom Rwanda mentioned that prevention is better than cure and that’s why all Rwandans need to support the MoH in the fight against the deadly Ebola. He added that this aid can be used in many ways such as training health staff, acquiring equipment, raising awareness and education in population, etc.
Ebola is now a global issue as new cases increase every day with West African countries mostly affected being Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Two other countries, Nigeria and Senegal, have had cases but were recently declared Ebola-free. The DR Congo had an outbreak of a different strain of Ebola that now looks like it might be contained. And while there has been one case of the disease in Mali, the patient died and no others have been confirmed.
The East African countries are Ebola free and have set up various efforts to prevent against entry of the virus. Rwanda specifically has set up an Emergency Ebola Preparedness and Response Team in charge of implementing and monitoring preventive measures established at all levels including screening of all arrivals at different border points especially airports and following up all suspected cases. In the last two weeks thirty people, mostly Rwandans returning home, have been declared free of suspicion of infection after being quarantined for the mandatory 22 days.
Liquid Telecom is the leading independent data, voice and IP provider in Eastern, Southern and Central Africa. Liquid Telecom has built Africa’s largest single fiber network, currently stretching over 17,000km across Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho and South Africa.
Dr. Gilbert Biraro
KigaliHe.com
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