Veronica Buckets for hand-washing stations were donated to distant villages
As of June 11, Sierra Leone has officially reported a total of 1,085 cases of COVID-19 with 50 deaths. However, the number of cases and deaths may be much higher as testing is limited primarily to Freetown. In Tikonko, RHCI instituted precautionary measures in March at the Mbao-mi Maternity Waiting Home and in the communities served by the motorbike outreach clinics. This included social distancing, frequent hand-washing, and use of face masks.
In early May, due to an increase in COVID-19 infections reported in the nearby city of Bo, the decision was made by RHCI to put on hold any new admissions to Mbao-mi Maternity Waiting Home to prevent it from becoming a hotspot or source of infection that could spread out to the many villages where the pregnant women live. As an alternative, RHCI began providing transportation directly from villages when contacted by phone that a woman has gone into labor, or was having complications. The RHCI truck is being used to transport pregnant women to the Tikonko Community Health Center or to Bo Maternity Hospital.
RHCI Staff doing thorough cleaning of Mbao-mi Maternity Waiting Home
This past week, plans were in place to reopen Mbao-mi on a limited basis to new patients, with increased social distancing, masks and sanitation. The staff worked many hours to do a thorough cleaning of the entire facility in preparation. However, two local cases of COVID-19 infection in the Tikonko Chiefdom were confirmed and plans were changed to not re-open until July 2 at the earliest.
RHCI regrets that its operations at Mbao-mi Maternity Waiting Home have had to be altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we are determined to reopen the Home as soon as it is safe. In the meantime, RHCI will continue providing transportation for pregnant and post-partum women as well as operating the Motorbike Outreach Clinics to 8 villages which provide much needed medical care especially to young children.
Beds at the Home are stripped for cleaning
With rainy season having started, an increase in malaria is already being reported. RHCI is key to providing the access to health services needed to treat malaria, as well as providing the malaria medication when the government program is out of stock. Additionally RHCI’s staff recently participated in the government insecticide treated bed net campaign, bringing bed nets to all families in the villages of the Tikonko Chiefdom where we work in partnership with the health center staff.
Furthermore, Ansu, RHCI’s tailor whom teaches tailoring classes at the Home, made masks for expecting mothers and staff members. 
For up to date information on the cases of COVID-19 in Sierra Leone, go to https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html.
