President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone has dismissed Miatta Kargbo, the country's health Minister. The decision was reportedly made after Kargbo failed to effectively carry out her duties during the Ebola crisis. For statement released from the Sierra Leone State House said that, "It has pleased the president to relieve the Minister of health, Miatta Kargbo of her duties." The president was allegedly unsatisfied with how the Ebola situation was being handled in the country, where more than 400 people had already died due to the deadly virus.
This dismissal did not come as a surprise to citizens of the country who have been calling for Kargbo's removal from the ministry for quite some time now. A Presidential statement explaining the incident said that Kargbo was relieved of her post because the government believes that she had mishandled the Ebola situation. Earlier in July, the President established a task force in cooperation with the Ministry of health that was going to implement measures that were intended to put a stop to the spread of the disease. During this time, Sierra Leone was put under a state of public emergency with the increasing number of infected patients. It is believed that Minister Kargbo was unable to perform her duties effectively during this time and that her termination could pave the way "to create a conducive environment for a efficient and effective handling of the Ebola outbreak in the country." According to sources inside the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health, the termination of the former Minister is a welcome change, but noted that it was "too little and too late."
Dr. Abubakarr Fofana was named deputy health minister in place of former Minister Kargbo. Dr. Fofana studied and graduated from a medical school in Sierra Leone and later on pursued postgraduate studies in tropical medicine in London.