I write you this short message to inform you that in early December, we will be returning to Liberia. Anabela Carneiro, Superior General.
Dearest Sisters,
Against the background of this picture of Patrick, a Liberian child who has defeated the Ebola virus, I write you this short message to inform you that in early December, we will be returning to Liberia.
It is with great pain that we have been following the situation of our brothers and sisters in West Africa and have mourned those who have fallen and continue to be killed by the Ebola virus. In a very special way, we have been by the side of our Brothers of Saint John of God, who have lost four of their brothers in Liberia and Sierra Leone. We have been deeply affected by the death of many men and women who have contracted this disease while helping to take care of those already contaminated by the virus and collecting bodies in homes, villages or in the streets.
The outbreak of this lethal disease was exacerbated by the poverty and desperation of these villages, where people do not have access to adequate living conditions, sanitation, health care, work or education. This context of poverty did not help the fight against the disease, but actually led to its expansion. This in turn induced the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare “a public health emergency” in the month of August, and to ask the international community to take action to fight against the Ebola epidemic in the affected countries.
The hospitaller community too, has been mobilized, and we have been able to send to Liberia protective gear, medicines and disinfectants. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed to the campaign which we launched to help fight against this pandemic.
With great suffering, our sisters left the country and travelled to Ghana, to regain their strength and recover from the psychological distress caused by the whole situation. But the wish to go back and help this ravaged country remained deep in our heart and challenged us to take the necessary steps to make it happen.
Sister María Begoña Pérez, Provincial Superior of England, has recently informed us that Sister Encarnación González and Dr. Mikel Tellaeche, director and manager of the “Aita – Menni” Hospital (Mondragón) and knowledgeable about the country’s social and health conditions, will be travelling to Monrovia, Liberia, on 5 December. On 7 December, they will be joined by Sisters Joana Agbotse and Colette Banka, who will be coming from Ghana.
