(July 2, 2020, Monrovia, Liberia)—The Coronavirus Incident Management System (IMS) has begun strategic counties Tour aimed at engaging counties’ leadership for their rapid response and involvement in the fight against the COVID-19, which has paralyzed global health system.
According to a release from the IMS, the engagement with Counties political leaders is geared towards insuring their involvement in the response and coordination with the incident command structure at all counties’ level.
The orientation meeting which was held in the port city of Buchanan over the weekend gathered political stakeholders, including Representatives, County Health Officers (CHTs) County Superintends, and members of the joint Security from River Cess and Grand Bassa Counties.
Explaining the importance of the tour more to the MoHTv, Mr. Abraham Nyenswah, Public Health Emergency Operation Center (PHEOC) Manager said the orientation meeting was meant to abreast political stakeholders with their roles and responsibilities.
The Manager said when stakeholders in the country are orientated with IMS’ command; they will take rightful decision in the enforcement of masks wearing and other preventive measures in order to curtail the sporadic spread of the virus.
The release noted that, as a way of building coordination and corporation between both the IMS and stakeholders, the meeting provided fundamental principles of incident management to be used as guidance for their respective command.
When it comes to discharging function in the IMS, Mr Nyenswah disclosed that decisions are made through the incident command system—not only a single institution including the County Health Team or Internal Affairs Ministry can take action without consultation with the body.
Mr Nyenswah has appealed to political leaders to make use of the needed resources available and trust the technicians for the full implementation of the IMS, and at the same time urged all political leaders to collectively work together in the interest of the state.
For his part, River Cess COVID-19 Incident command System Head, Dr. Joseph Topoe discouraged the existence of COVID-19 vaccine, terming it as a “myth”.
“People should not believe that there is a vaccine or cure for this virus. This is just a complete myth. No one should lie to you that there exists any vaccine of the virus,’’ he stressed.
Since vaccine for the virus has not been officially discovered, there is a need for the taskforce and CHTs to work together in dispersing the myth concerning immunization. Saying “these are challenges face by the counties health teams on a daily basis concerning the discovering of the COVID-19 vaccine”.
Making special statement on behalf of the political stakeholders, Grand Bassa County Superintendent for Development, Hon. Flee A. Glay thanked IMS for the meeting and asked the team to always invite stakeholders to such orientation for the dissemination of Coronavirus awareness messages to the Liberian populace.
He called on political stakeholders as well as all well-meaning Liberians to corporate with health authority in order to contain the spread of the virus.
The IMS is a standard approach is used in large and small-scale incidents throughout the globe. The MoH and partners adopted the IMS principles in managing their responses to public health emergencies, which in addition to the command, operations, logistics, planning, and finance/administrative functions, also includes scientific/public health response roles.
Signed:_____________________________________
Felecia Gbesioh
Director of Communications
Contact: 0886-581-787/0770-259-623/ fezo2g8@yahoo.com