By By: The People News Online
MONROVIA — The John F. Kennedy Medical Center has moved to dispel public anxiety over recent Ebola preparedness training, clarifying that the sessions were proactive and not triggered by any confirmed case in Liberia.
In a statement released Monday, Mrs. Joana D. Joekai, Director of Nursing Services at JFK, said the educational engagements for nurses were conducted solely as a readiness measure. “It is important to clearly state that at no point during these educational engagements did I, or any member of my team, disclose or suggest that Liberia has any confirmed Ebola case,” she emphasized.
Joekai, who oversees the ES Grant Memorial and Maternity Hospitals under JFK, described the initiative as part of her professional duty to ensure staff safety and hospital preparedness. The training covered triaging protocols, infection prevention and control, and correct use of Personal Protective Equipment, including impermeable gowns, double gloves, and face shields.
She linked the decision to conduct refresher training to Liberia’s history with the virus and current regional developments. “Liberia’s painful past experience with Ebola, coupled with a recent alert from the Ministry of Health regarding reported Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, made it necessary for healthcare workers to remain informed and vigilant,” Joekai said.
The director stressed that authority to declare an Ebola outbreak rests solely with the Ministry of Health. She said the hospital’s actions were “purely precautionary” and aligned with efforts to strengthen response capacity should any highly infectious disease, including Ebola Virus Disease, emerge.
Joekai reaffirmed JFK’s commitment to “maintaining high standards of patient care, safety, professionalism, and public health preparedness.”
The clarification comes after a recent _FrontPage Africa_ interview in which Paula Bedell alleged that information about suspected Ebola cases was disclosed during an in-service meeting at JFK. Bedell has been accused of raising a false alarm regarding suspected cases in the country.
The Ministry of Health has not announced any confirmed Ebola cases in Liberia.
