- Title: Citizens mobilise in Bamako to defeat COVID-19
- Date: 13th April 2020
- Summary: BAMAKO, MALI (RECENT) (REUTERS) RIPOSTE 223 COVID19 COLLECTIVE TAKING BOXES OF SOAP DONATED TO THE KATI HOSPITAL KATI HOSPITAL STAFF WITH A DONATED HAND WASHING KIT HOSPITAL STAFF PUTTING UP A BANNER ON HOW TO PROTECT AGAINST COVID 19 BOXES OF ARMONIA DETERGENT DONATED TO THE HOSPITAL BY RIPOSTE 223 COLLECTIVE (SOUNDBITE) (French) DJIME KANTE, SPOKESMAN FOR RIPOSTE 223 COVID19 SAYING: "We could have given this straight to the Ministry of Health but as you know with the administration there is too much red tape and it can take a long time before it gets to the beneficiaries. We are citizens and these are our hospitals and we think it's more efficient and transparent to bring it over and also, there is the fact that these were given to us by other people who want us to bring it to the hospitals so we don't need to go through the administrative burdens. We come, we give it and we ensure it benefits them and that it benefits the population." DONATED SURGICAL MASKS WOMAN GIVING BOTTLE OF BLEACH TO HOSPITAL STAFF (SOUNDBITE) (French) DJIME KANTE, SPOKESMAN FOR RIPOSTE 223 COVID19 SAYING: "We reached deep in our our pockets, we are showing what we have to give and we are asking everyone to do the same. We are making people understand that what they give to others they also give themselves because a doctor can pass it on (the virus) so if we can protect him, we are protecting our close family and people respond to that message and this is what brings them to contribute." MEMBERS OF THE COLLECTIVE PUTTING DONATED BOXES OF CLEANING GOODS AT HOSPITAL ENTRANCE BIOLOGY STUDENTS IN LABORATORY OF HOSPITAL POINT G MAKING HAND SANITIZER, POURING LIQUID IN A JAR MADIBA SISSOKO, STUDENT LEADER LIQUID GOING INTO LABORATORY JAR STUDENTS HUDDLED AROUND PLASTIC CONTAINER WHERE THEY ARE POURING LIQUID IN THE MAKING OF THE SANITIZER (SOUNDBITE) (French) MADIBA SISSOKO, BIOLOGY STUDENT LEADER, SAYING: "The first initiative was aimed at helping our care staff. We also noticed that the price of sanitizers went up from one day to the next and that if this tendency goes on we run the risk of not being able to afford it any more. When we know you don't need much to prepare this solution and so if we make it, not only the health care staff will benefit but also ordinary people." STUDENTS MAKING THE SANITIZER STUDENT LOOKING AT MEASURER WITH LIQUID SISSOKO WATCHING STUDENTS BRING OVER CLEAR PLASTIC BOTTLES TO PUT THE SANITIZER IN SANITIZER POURED INTO THE PLASTIC BOTTLE (SOUNDBITE) (French) MADIBA SISSOKO, BIOLOGY STUDENT LEADER, SAYING: "And also on the other hand we wanted to add value to the national production and use this opportunity to show everyone that pharmaceutical students and the medical students can do more." BOTTLES WITH SANITIZER ON THE SIDE YOUSSOUF SALL OF DONILAB START UP AT ENTRANCE TO THE START UP LABORATORY BEING PULVERISED WITH DISINFECTANT MIST MADE WITH DILUTED BLEACH WHICH HE CONCEIVED SALL WASHING HIS HANDS WITH AN AUTOMATIC SOAP AND WATER DISPENSER HE CONCEIVED MORE OF SALL WASHING HIS HANDS TALKING ABOUT THE NEED TO WASH HANDS FOR 20 SECONDS SALL IN LAB WORKING ON A RESPIRATOR WHICH HE IS TRYING TO PERFECT SALL'S FACE RESPIRATOR PUMPING UP AND DOWN (SOUNDBITE) (French) YOUSSOUF SALL OF DONILAB START UP SAYING: "We met with infectious disease experts who are treating COVID-19 patients. They gave us extremely important advice on how to move to the next step and we understood we needed to do a lot more to make the ventilator. So we made up a list of all the functionalities that need to be taken into account, we ordered equipment, some of it has arrived and the rest will come tomorrow God willing so that by the end of the week we can work on it and make all the necessary modifications and then present it once more to see if it is good enough to pass the clinical test." RESPIRATOR SALL AND COLLABORATOR WORKING ON THE RESPIRATOR PEOPLE AT THE BUS STATION MAN WASHING HANDS AT HAND WASHING POINT IN BUS STATION PEOPLE AT THE BUS STATION VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD WITH PEOPLE ON MOTORBIKES AND ONLY A FEW WEARING SURGICAL MASKS
- Embargoed: 27th April 2020 12:35
- Keywords: COVID-19 Coronavirus citizens against Coronavirus medical supplies
- Location: BAMAKO, MALI
- City: BAMAKO, MALI
- Country: Mali
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001C9BQVDJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Mali may have only a few recorded cases of COVID-19, but the reality of the global pandemic has hit them hard and citizens are galvanising their efforts to prepare for the worst.
Riposte 223 COVID19 is made up around 50 traders, teachers, journalists, health workers and artists and they have been collecting sanitary products and basic equipment including surgical masks, bleach and disinfectants from the local population which they are now distributing to hospitals.
On Thursday (April 9), they were at Bamako's Kati hospital to distribute basic equipment including, surgical masks and disinfectants.
"We could have given this straight to the Ministry of Health but as you know with the administration there is too much red tape and it can take a long time before it gets to the beneficiaries. We are citizens and these are our hospitals and we think it's more efficient and transparent to bring it over and also, there is the fact that these were given to us by other people who want us to bring it to the hospitals so we don't need to go through the administrative burdens. We come, we give it and we ensure it benefits them and that it benefits the population," said Djime Kante, spokesman for the group.
At one university hospital a dozen biology students have clubbed together to buy ingredients and make sanitary gel at their own cost.
"The first initiative was aimed at helping our care staff. We also noticed that the price of sanitizers went up from one day to the next and that if this tendency goes on we run the risk of not being able to afford it any more. When we know you don't need much to prepare this solution and so if we make it, not only the health care staff will benefit but also ordinary people," said one of the students, Madiba Sissoko.
They can produce 5 litres per session and since the start of the month have made around 20 litres in total. The students say they could produce more if they get extra financing and are urging others to do the same to multiply supplies nationally.
And at one Malian startup, Donilab, Youssouf Sall has been working on a ventilator which he presented to the health authorities. It did not pass the test but Sall said he won't stop improving on the device until it is ready.
All of these initiatives are voluntary although they are asking authorities to help them achieve their goals. They are the result of citizens looking for local solutions in the face of massive shortages in even the most basic equipment to protect the public and health staff against the coronavirus.
Sall also devised an automatic disinfecting spray and water and soap dispenser that he hopes to commercialise. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
