By Yusupha Jobe
Sea rescue officers at Sanyang beach have complained of not having personal protective equipment to protect them from contacting the coronavirus pandemic as frontline officers.
The officers made the complaint to the National Assembly select committee monitoring the state of emergency on their visit in that area. Among other complaints from them include lack of mobility to patrol and monitor the coastline of the community to help prevent illegal entry of people into the country.
Ebrima Bojang, a sea rescue officer, said the unavailability of the Covid-19 protective gears has put them at a greater health risk.
“One person who was believed to have come from Senegal crossing the sea by boat was intercepted by our staff before he takes offshore, as we called the health workers in the village’s major health center to intervene,” he disclosed.
But he asked rhetorically “how can we protect ourselves from any suspect case of the virus entering the country using the sea when we do not have any protective equipment.”
In response, Hon Ousman Sillah NAM Select Committee reminded the officers of his committee mandate which include looking into the current situation of citizens on how they are coping with the State of Public Emergency.
He assured them of taking their complaints to the authority concerning their finding in regards to the present situation.
He therefore advised them to form a task force committee that will comprise various stakeholders like local fishery committee and community health personnel to enable them have one frontline community workforce that will help manage and curb any emerge case in the coastal community. At least “before the intervention of health workers from the Ministry of Health,” he suggested.