Laidback Al
Well-known member
From ProMED, note highlighted statement from Dr. Johnson . . .
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - WEST AFRICA (158): URGENT CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
[ProMED is brought to you through the good auspices of ISID, the International Society for Infectious Diseases, based in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA. Now ISID has been asked to spread the call for volunteer clinicians to go to West Africa to coordinate isolation units and supervise local staff in their care for patients with EVD.
We start with an e-mail from the hot zone. - Mod.JW]
[1]
Date: Tue 9 Sep 2014
From: Oliver Johnson <oliver.johnson@kcl.ac.uk> [edited]
Re: International Society of Infectious Diseases (ISID) request for how they can help
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The situation in Freetown [Sierra Leone] is rapidly deteriorating as there simply aren't enough isolation beds to contain suspected or confirmed cases. The country's 2 treatment centres are full so we are unable to refer confirmed cases out of isolation units to free up space. As a result suspected cases are now staying at home in their communities -- this will quickly lead to an exponential increase in cases. At Connaught (the government's main referral hospital) today [9 Sep 2014] our isolation unit is full with adult and paediatric cases and we have suspected cases in the waiting area and emergency room that we can't isolate -- I don't know how much longer the hospital will be able to stay open in these circumstances.
King's is working to urgently set up new isolation units and train local staff. We're working round-the-clock trying to set up a new unit every 48 hours, but we are the only partner undertaking this work and we simply won't be able to keep up with demand.
What we most need right now are international clinicians willing to come out and volunteer to help coordinate these units and supervise local staff in the larger isolation units. We can train them here [Freetown] when they arrive. If anyone can help advertise volunteering opportunities in the USA or UK that would be hugely helpful. The international response to the outbreak remains virtually non-existent, in terms of actual impact on the ground.
--
Dr Oliver Johnson
Programme Director
King's Sierra Leone Partnership
2nd Floor Admin, Connaught Hospital, Freetown
Sierra Leone
2.13 Weston Education Centre, London SE5 9RJ
United Kingdom
<oliver.johnson@kcl.ac.uk>
[King's Sierra Leone Partnership (http://www.kslp.org.uk) is an initiative of King's College London UK. - Mod.LM]
http://promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20140910.2761715</oliver.johnson@kcl.ac.uk></oliver.johnson@kcl.ac.uk>
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - WEST AFRICA (158): URGENT CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
*******************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
[ProMED is brought to you through the good auspices of ISID, the International Society for Infectious Diseases, based in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA. Now ISID has been asked to spread the call for volunteer clinicians to go to West Africa to coordinate isolation units and supervise local staff in their care for patients with EVD.
We start with an e-mail from the hot zone. - Mod.JW]
[1]
Date: Tue 9 Sep 2014
From: Oliver Johnson <oliver.johnson@kcl.ac.uk> [edited]
Re: International Society of Infectious Diseases (ISID) request for how they can help
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The situation in Freetown [Sierra Leone] is rapidly deteriorating as there simply aren't enough isolation beds to contain suspected or confirmed cases. The country's 2 treatment centres are full so we are unable to refer confirmed cases out of isolation units to free up space. As a result suspected cases are now staying at home in their communities -- this will quickly lead to an exponential increase in cases. At Connaught (the government's main referral hospital) today [9 Sep 2014] our isolation unit is full with adult and paediatric cases and we have suspected cases in the waiting area and emergency room that we can't isolate -- I don't know how much longer the hospital will be able to stay open in these circumstances.
King's is working to urgently set up new isolation units and train local staff. We're working round-the-clock trying to set up a new unit every 48 hours, but we are the only partner undertaking this work and we simply won't be able to keep up with demand.
What we most need right now are international clinicians willing to come out and volunteer to help coordinate these units and supervise local staff in the larger isolation units. We can train them here [Freetown] when they arrive. If anyone can help advertise volunteering opportunities in the USA or UK that would be hugely helpful. The international response to the outbreak remains virtually non-existent, in terms of actual impact on the ground.
--
Dr Oliver Johnson
Programme Director
King's Sierra Leone Partnership
2nd Floor Admin, Connaught Hospital, Freetown
Sierra Leone
2.13 Weston Education Centre, London SE5 9RJ
United Kingdom
<oliver.johnson@kcl.ac.uk>
[King's Sierra Leone Partnership (http://www.kslp.org.uk) is an initiative of King's College London UK. - Mod.LM]
http://promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20140910.2761715</oliver.johnson@kcl.ac.uk></oliver.johnson@kcl.ac.uk>