By Amin Kef Sesay
Members of the Indian Mercantile Association in Sierra Leone led by the Indian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Rakesh Arora, has on the 11th November 2021 presented a cheque of Two Hundred and Fifty Million Leones to the Director-General of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) at the institution’s head office in Aberdeen, Freetown.
Present during the occasion were the Director of the NDMA, Lt Rtd Brima Sesay, his Deputy John Rogers, Harish Agnani, and a cross-section of the Indian Mercantile Association in the country, and media practitioners.
The Deputy Director-General of the NDMA welcomed all those present and gave a brief synopsis of what constitutes the mandate of the Agency.
In his statement, the Director-General of NDMA, Lt General Rtd Brima Sesay welcomed the Indian High Commissioner and members of the Association. He gave a brief account of how the fire disaster started maintaining that it was indeed a very devastating scene which no individual would wish for any other person. He said after frantic efforts were made, the fire was eventually put out, furthering that ambulances came to the scene and moved those who sustained burns to various health facilities for medical treatment.
The Director-General further disclosed that up to 84 charred bodies were discovered stating how the number of those consumed by the fire keeps fluctuating but revealed that the official number of reported cases is 299 out of which 138 are feared dead, 54 died on treatment. He said the burns some of them sustained are so serious and are up to Level 3.
“It is indeed a big challenge for medical practitioners especially as the country lacks a specialized unit to treat such cases,” he stated adding that out of those that are hospitalized 12 are in a very critical situation adding that the focus now is to see how much medical attention will be given to them. He also disclosed that a team of medical practitioners from Senegal, who are specialized in treating burns, is in town working alongside Sierra Leonean doctors to treat those that are admitted.
The High Commissioner of India to Sierra Leone, Rakesh Arora, extended, on behalf of the Government of India, the Indian community in Sierra Leone, especially the Indian business community represented by the Indian Mercantile Association, deepest condolences, and sympathies to the Government and the people of Sierra Leone for the loss of so many precious lives in the disastrous fire accident last Friday in Wellington.
“May the departed souls rest in perfect peace,” he prayed to state how their heart goes out for the affected families further praying to the Almighty to give strength to the affected families to bear the loss.
The High Commissioner said a number of people also got seriously injured in the accident on that day and are receiving treatment at various hospitals in the city. He revealed that six of them are being treated at the Choithram Hospital, free of cost.
Rakesh Arora additionally informed those present that Choithram Hospital also contributed medicines worth more than 30 million Leones which were urgently required for the treatment of the injured in other hospitals.
“We pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” he stated adding that they are present to share their loss, their pain.
The High Commissioner maintained that at this hour of grief, the Government of Sierra Leone through its agencies, especially NDMA, is trying to assist the affected families and arranging medical assistance highlighting how they would like to supplement those efforts,
He concluded by revealing that the Indian Mercantile Association members collectively would like to donate Two Hundred and Fifty Million Leones (Le250M) as their humble contribution to the NDMA to be used for welfare measures for the affected families.
On his part, Dr. Kishore Shankerdas, Managing Director of Shankerdas and Sons, while expressing condolences suggested that it could be worthwhile if the NDMA really brings the requisite stakeholders on board to strategize on how to prevent future occurrences of disasters of such a magnitude as the PMB Wellington Fire disaster.
He continued that NDMA and its related partners should embark on a robust sensitization drive to raise awareness on what and not what to do to prevent such a disaster from occurring and how to prevent being a victim stating that a special curriculum on that should be developed for school-going pupils. He also maintained that the SLRSA must regularly ensure the roadworthiness of vehicles that ply our streets and roads.
The highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of the cheque of Two Hundred and Fifty Million Leones by Dr. Kishore Shankerdas to the NDMA Director-General to be used for welfare measures for the affected families.
Receiving the cheque, the NDMA Director-General thanked, on behalf of the Government, the Indian Mercantile Association for what it described as a very timely gesture. He said he will convey the gesture to the requisite authorities and even the President praising the Indians for their usual prompt response to disasters even mentioning the Susan’s Bay Fire incident.
Responding to the suggestion made by Dr. Kishore Shankerdas he said the NDMA has been doing a lot in the area of sensitization adding that the big challenge has to do with the attitudes of some people.
Climaxing the occasion was the taking of a group photo of NDMA members of staff and members of the Indian Mercantile Association in Sierra Leone.
