Well, if you like intrigue, I have lots for you with this post. It seems there was a little bit more going on behind the scenes regarding the delay of ozone to make it into Hastings, the SL Ebola center in Freetown. In a previous post, I told you that we had to go to the President. He had not known that we were stymied in this, nor that his ministers failed to come to our lectures when we arrived, until we met with him.
And remember, he asked for a treatment, which Dr. Robins administered. But first, he kicked out his bodyguard from the office in his residence where we met in the evening. Then he was treated. He promised us that he would take care of matters in the morning. He wanted to go through regular administrative channels as any president would want, but he wanted those channels opened.
The next day, yesterday, the Minister of Health was sacked from the state Ebola program and it was assigned to the Minister of Defense (military). And that day, we met with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), who didn’t have a clue as to what ozone was about, nor seem to care. (Remember, he did not attend our lectures!) A meeting was arranged for today at 9am.
Guess what? It was postponed twice. We finally got with the CMO and Prof. Jones again about 4pm. They had a few “ethics” reservations left so I decided to end any and all reservations. I played the video I made and posted on my you tube channel of doctors and citizens of SL I treated with prolozone yesterday. SL is a small place. They knew these highly prominent doctors and you could literally see their jaws drop when they saw the looks of joy on their fellow people who were relieved of their pain.
In addition I said. “How will you explain ethics to families of Ebola victims who died with a 50-80% death rate when we are bringing a therapy that holds incredible promise to save them.” The last obstruction was gone. But, we had to have one last meeting. This time, with the Minister of Defense, who is the SL Ebola “czar”, Palo Kanteh.
Palo Kanteh is a striking man, tall and slender and obviously highly intelligent and of discipline. He also happens to be another protégé of Dr. Kojo Carew, who mentored him when he was much younger. After listening to Dr. Robins, myself, and the younger SL doctors we trained who were eager to begin ozone treatments in the center, Dr. Robins asked, “Do you have any questions for us?” “Yes”, the minister replied. “How come the treatments have not yet begun in the Ebola center?” In unison we replied,” you need to ask your other ministers and medical officers why.” With that he directed us to begin treatments tomorrow. ( I would not be surprised if more people get sacked over these matters now). Dr. Robins departed Sierra Leone this evening a very happy man (I am staying 2 days longer).
Earlier today, Dr. Robins went on national television for a short segment. At 6pm, Dr. Carew also went on and was engaged in a heated discussion with yet another obstructionist, the chief of Pharmacy. While the latter did raise legitimate concerns, such as ethics, as did other ministers, all had lost sight that it was Dr. Carew who was the author of the medical ethics standards in this country.
Also, the Pharmacy man was demanding to see the basis and rationale of what we were proposing to do. While on the show, caller after caller voiced their support for Dr. Carew, perhaps the most famous doctor in the land, a real national hero. The Pharmacy chief emerged from the screening room still in heated discussion with Dr. Carew and continued it in front of managers of the network. Sadly for him, the public had ALREADY heard from Dr. Carew that he and all the health ministers received a formal invitation to come to last Saturday’s lectures, which they spurned.
He offered no excuse for it, but demanded a one on one audience with me tomorrow. Well, that is not to happen. The TV people said ignore him, even though I had offered to placate his unfounded demands. Dr. Carew also said we didn’t need his approval as we had already cleared it with the Ebola “czar”. Nevertheless, Dr Carew agreed to a compromise to satisfy everyone, as well as the little precious time I have remaining. If several ministers of government will come, I will put on a presentation for them all – TOGETHER. And if not, then too bad for them.
We seem to have succeeded with the people we need most, and especially the Defense Minister (Ebola Czar as we seem to refer to it in the USA), who wanted to know why we had not been cleared to begin. He already knew that EVERY doctor, including the most leading private physicians in the country, to whom we had presented were not only on board, but were clamoring for treatments.
Then, I pulled out my computer, since the internet in the TV station was too slow, and played my Sierra Leone prolozone post. The station managers were in awe seeing people they knew beaming with joy from pain relief. (Sierra Leone seems to be like Alaska, where half the population lives in one city, Anchorage, and after years, you simply know most people you need to know. Here, the center is Freetown).
At 7:30 pm, it was my turn for national TV. This show was a continuous 30 minutes with the most watched commentator in the nation, sort of like a live Face the Nation. Dr. Carew told me the President watches this show!
The questions were excellent and tough. Drs. Carew and Robins sat on the edge of their seats. When I emerged, they expressed that they were both ecstatic at my poise and on point responses, and that it would turn heads all over the land. I was asked pointed questions on the science of ozone, and the politics of why it hasn’t been used. You can imagine my answers on the latter. I’ve been promised a DVD that I will post on you tube next week.
So, aside from the fact that we had a downpour this evening (which we were fortunately able to dodge while speaking before the Freetown Rotary Club on the way to drop off Howard),
I’ll leave you with this terrific news. Tomorrow morning or early afternoon, the world’s first ozone treatment on an Ebola patient will take place. Dr. Carew and I will be parked safely outside the Ebola center to monitor any unexpected reactions and be prepared with anything we have on hand to offer support. Please feel free to share with friends. We are so very excited that all our efforts are now about to move forward. I send this off now at 2:00 am, preparing to rise at 7:30 am for my usual 5-6 hours sleep here.
I forgot to tell you that the miracles of prolozone reached the Nigerian ambassador to SL. She received prolozone today for her knee. So now, the generators donated by Longevity Resources of Canada have treated one head of state, and an ambassador. Good going Roger Chown!!!
Warm regards,
RJR