Family Appeals for Urgent Medical Attention
By Mackie M. Jalloh
The family of Zainab Sheriff has dismissed social media reports claiming that she has died in prison, describing the reports as false while raising serious concerns about her deteriorating health condition in custody.
The clarification came from Zainab’s aunty, who said she recently visited her and found her seriously ill.
According to the aunt, Zainab is alive but her condition is reportedly very severe, prompting renewed calls for urgent medical intervention to prevent the situation from becoming more critical.
The family is now appealing to the Government of Sierra Leone, humanitarian organisations, NGOs and other concerned institutions to intervene and ensure that Zainab receives the medical attention she urgently needs.
The death rumour has meanwhile generated public concern, particularly because it emerged against the backdrop of reports about her poor health.
Although the family has confirmed that Zainab is alive, the circumstances surrounding the reports have raised broader questions about the welfare of people who become seriously ill while in custody and whether adequate medical care is being provided when their health deteriorates.
For the family, the immediate priority is not the social media speculation, but Zainab’s survival and access to appropriate medical treatment.
They are therefore urging the relevant authorities not to wait until her condition reaches an irreversible stage before taking action.
The Government, as the authority responsible for the welfare and protection of persons in custody, has a duty to ensure that serious medical conditions are promptly assessed and appropriately treated. Where the required treatment is unavailable within the custodial system, arrangements should be made for access to suitable external medical care.
The family also believes that NGOs, human rights organisations and other humanitarian actors can play an important role by monitoring Zainab’s condition and advocating for the medical assistance she reportedly needs.
The situation also highlights the danger of unverified reports on social media. A false death announcement can cause enormous distress to relatives and friends, particularly when the person concerned is already facing serious health challenges.
The public is therefore being urged to exercise caution and verify sensitive information before sharing it.
For now, Zainab Sheriff is alive, according to her aunt, but her family says her health condition is severe and requires urgent attention.
The appeal is simple: medical care should come before tragedy.
The family is calling on the government and humanitarian community to act quickly, stressing that waiting for a serious health situation in custody to become a fatality would be an unacceptable failure of preventive care.
