Waterloo Ebola Treatment Centre

There has been a slight change of plan for the Adventist Hospital in Waterloo. After the quarantine period it was decided that the hospital would be reopened as an Ebola holding centre, but this has now changed. The hospital is no longer going to be a holding centre for Ebola - it is going to operate as a treatment centre for Ebola.

 

A holding centre is where suspected Ebola patients are taken to be tested, if they test positive for Ebola they are then transferred to a treatment centre.

 

The Doctor and staff that I spoke to at the hospital are pleased with this decision as they feel that a treatment centre is a safer environment than a holding centre for staff.

Leaving Salone

I've returned to the UK to spend Christmas with my husband, but I almost missed the flight.........

I didn't consider this form of transport!

I decided to drive around to the airport - I didn't want to spend hours at the airport so that ruled out the water-taxi, and I didn't fancy getting the ferry because there are reports of a lot of Ebola in the area around the ferry.....so driving around via Port Loko seemed the best choice. I'd driven around to the airport when I flew to the UK in September, so I didn't foresee any problems.

The day didn't get off to a good start, my car broke down......but that was ok - I arranged to rent a car. I got just past Waterloo and the car I'd hired broke down too! We eventually got the car going again and continued with the journey.......running a bit behind time, but still with plenty of time to catch the flight.

We got through the first couple of checkpoints with no problems at all - just a quick temperature check and we were allowed on our way. At the third check point I was asked for my pass.......I'd never been asked for a pass before so I wasn't expecting this. I explained that I didn't know a pass was required and that I was on the way to the airport to get a flight and in the end they let me carry on..........the same thing happened at the next 4 checkpoints - with the added problem that it was now after 5pm and the checkpoints close after 5pm and no-one is allowed to pass........oh dear! I was very fortunate that after explaining my plight at each checkpoint I was allowed to continue my journey after temperature checks.




Temperature 35.8 - OK to fly!

What with the breakdown and the extra time it took me to get through the checkpoints I got to the check-in desk at the airport just as it was closing - another 5 minutes and they wouldn't have accepted me on the flight.

At the airport there was an Ebola form to fill and another temperature check to see if I would be accepted onto the flight.

I was given a form to fill in on the flight that I had to hand in when I got to the UK - but first I had to transit through Brussels and Munich. Once on the flight I was given a form to fill in and hand in in Brussels. As we disembarked the plane people were waiting to take the forms and take our temperatures again.


The flight to Munich was uneventful, and there were no further checks when we landed in Munich.

On arrival in London I was to make myself known to Border Control - they were waiting just after passport control with a list of passengers they were expecting from Ebola affected countries.......so some reason my name was not on the list. I told them where I had came from and was taken to an interview room for a quick interview, hand my form in and another temperature check. I was told to check my temperature twice daily for 21 days and told that I didn't need to restrict my movement.

So, as far as checking and information goes it's improved a lot since September......except that unless people make themselves knows to border control there are no checks......it would have been easy to walk straight past them

Ebola Assessment Form

Ebola Information

Ebola Story - Ibrahim S

This article is written by a young man I know about how he feels about Ebola. I think he has a real talent for the written word......

MY EBOLA STORY

By Ibrahim S

"I may say boring, yes it is boring. But on the other hand it is affecting me greatly. How can I listen to teaching on the radio? That's silly. I don't go to the beach no more, don't move in crowds no more, and most of all don't go to school.

Can't say no more, but for some time, it has been six months since I left school and I'm eager to go back to school. I only have thee more months to end my senior secondary school career and I want to enjoy these three months with my friends.

The death rate aggravates me, I sometimes agitate over it asking myself when will this end. some others don't want Ebola to end but it really pissed me off. I'm even afraid to go to church because I don't trust anyone. But all the same I thank God for the life.

I don't attend lessons, not because of the Ebola but the fees are flying upwards and I'd rather study at home than pay that sum of money.

Staying at home is really agonizing but I don't have an option other than to stay at home.

If I am asked to summarise this whole situation I will start by blaming the people for not.......believing, and the government for not responding fast. It's because of their carelessness that people are suffering today. All they do care about is the money and nothing else, I'm just tired. All I do pray for is to see the end part of this big pain and loss in our country.

Depart from us. I want to return to school and have fun with my friends for the last time in my school uniform. I want to play football and hang out with my friends, go to the cinema and have fun with pals but I'm missing all this because of Ebola. I hate this virus, just hope it all ends soon.

In Jesus name Amen"

Ebola Story - Mohamed K

This article was written by a student I know who was due to sit his end of junior secondary school examinations (BECE) this year. (I love the final line of his atrticle).

EBOLA IN SIERRA LEONE, WEST AFRICA

By Mohamed

"Ebola came to Sierra Leone at around May fifth to the tenth, 2014.

It came in through Kalihun district, another part of Sierra Leone. The outbreak came into Sierra Leone seven months ago and it has killed about one thousand one hundred and above people in Sierra Leone.

And it came to the capital city Freetown a couple of months ago, which I could not remember.

But when it came to the capital Freetown it finally affect me in a way that I fail to fight against Ebola me myself alone. Because it affect me against my education because I should have been through with my Basic Education Certificate Education (B.E.C.E.).

But we only thank God for the West Africa Examinations Council (W.A.E.C.) for bringing us the teaching programme on our radios which keeps us busy all the time in our studies. Never mind that not each and everyone can afford radio in our various communities.

The public health infrastructure in Sierra Leone is being severely strained as the outbreak to Sierra Leone grows.

How Ebola Affect in Sierra Leone

Symptoms = vomiting, bleeding, fever, headache, joint pain etc

Ebola leads to the loss of our doctors and nurses all in the name of Ebola.

May God save our beloved country Sierra Leone"