The country's capacity to effectively respond to such a crisis as the Coronavirus outbreak is dismal. AMAKA, a New York based Human Capacity and Social Capital Development firm, believes Liberia needs an actionable plan that is void of politics and imbued with leadership in order to effectively respond to and tamp down the Coronavirus impact:
𝐀 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧
Activate and deploy a central emergency response system in each county and require robust collaboration between national and local support functions.
Develop, disseminate, and enforce mechanisms for a coordinated national assistance to supplement local resources and existing framework.
𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Consider an SOS call to the country’s limited experts. Every other country is doing this. Outreach to the country’s known doctors locally and internationally, veteran public administrators, and experienced emergency responders to join the national efforts.
The country cannot effectively respond to and solve the Coronavirus threat or crisis all by itself without both consolidating its human resources as well as international supports.
𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬
Just calling 4455 alone isn’t enough. Provide additional home options so as to avoid overwhelming the already unequipped health facilities and providers. THINK! Develop and aggressively provide educational messages and materials on the Dos and Don’ts of Coronavirus prevention. A song alone isn’t enough!
Make quarantining undaunting and ensure cleaned quarantine locations, running water, and effective checks. Provide support for how to self-quarantine and how well it can be done!
𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
Importers of rice and petroleum: subsidize them and require a certain quota to sustain the national demands of these products over a 3 to 6-month period
Restrict the border! Make it a real restriction! Allow only daily livelihood items to be imported so as to not overwhelm the first responders at the border. Allowing such items must be done under the strictest medical checks and supervisions.
𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧-𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧
Let the national government be aware of how each county will respond to the outbreak. Let the locals in the county also be aware of how their leaders will respond.
Let the national government consider support packages for each county, local governments, and health centers based on needs and density of outbreak.
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
Take national inventory of health care resources including providers, equipment and emergency medical supplies currently in the country per health center per county.
Explore sources of supplies and consider procuring critical equipment that aren’t currently available in the country or are below inventory; empower public health organizations
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
A song alone isn’t enough! Back it up with other targeted public awareness measures
Let those who are going around to educate the public dress appropriately and let the campaigners themselves be educated on the virus.
𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭, 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓
See what’s working in other countries with populations similar to Liberia’s. Consider adapting and adopting those where necessary.
Acquire and share information with national and regional bodies concerned with the outbreak.
𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞” 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝
Make food at least rice, the country’s staple food, cheaper to get if not completely free.
Work with phone networks to make alert and mass notification system possible free of charge in case the president wants to send out public health communication and situational awareness
𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬
Public relations in this case must be provided like a prescription required for the health of the nation. Let there be a way for all health facilities and appropriate bodies to send daily updates to a central office which should then prepare the daily updates of the president.
Coordination is key: you cannot have the media saying the 7th Covid-19 case was an expatriate but then the government says it was the assistant public works minister.
Let the president provide the update. Politics aside, this will be more reassuring.
DO NOT UNDER-REPORT
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