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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums‘It’s despair on all fronts,’ says Ebola aid worker
For Lance Plyler and the other health workers treating Ebola patients at the small missionary hospital in Liberia, exhaustion came in many forms.
The physical demands of working under layer upon layer of protective gear, sweating profusely in the sweltering African heat. The mental challenge of staying alert to the risk of infection while caring for patients suffering bouts of vomiting, diarrhea and fever. The realization that no matter how hard the health workers tried, most patients would die.
Its despair on all fronts, said Plyler, an American doctor who led the Liberian disaster response efforts for the international relief organization Samaritans Purse. It wears on you after a while. .?.?. It breaks some people.
President Obama plans to announce Tuesday that the United States will significantly ramp up its aid to Ebola-ravaged countries in West Africa, from sending supplies and setting up field hospitals to providing health-care personnel and training local medical staff. The commitment comes days after the World Health Organization issued a plea for more volunteers, saying at least 500 doctors and 1,000 more health-care workers are needed.
More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/its-despair-on-all-fronts-says-ebola-aid-worker/2014/09/15/cbd87044-3842-11e4-9c9f-ebb47272e40e_story.html
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)the response has been so pathetic. Part of it is just plain fear, as stated well into the article. I can't blame them.
ZombieHorde
(29,047 posts)Pisces
(5,599 posts)greatlaurel
(2,004 posts)According the article, "More than 240 medical staffers have gotten sick while fighting the outbreak, and about half of those have died."
That is an incredibly high mortality rate for health care workers. The WHO needs to address that issue first. Otherwise, who will volunteer to treat the patients? Have the infection rates for health care workers lessened in recent days?