Unprecedented number of health care workers infected with Ebola
Ctvnews.ca
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
More than 240 doctors and nurses working in West Africa to try to contain the Ebola epidemic have become infected with the illness, and more than 120 have died, the World Health Organization says.
The health agency issued a statement Tuesday detailing the “unprecedented” toll that Ebola is taking on health workers who have been treating infected patients in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
“Ebola has taken the lives of prominent doctors in Sierra Leone and Liberia, depriving these countries not only of experienced and dedicated medical care but also of inspiring national heroes,” the WHO said.
The health agency says a high proportion of medical staff have become infected in this epidemic and says there are several reasons why.
Firstly, there far too few medical staff for an outbreak of this size – the largest ever. The WHO estimates that in the three hardest-hit countries, only one to two doctors are available to treat 100,000 people, and most are in urban areas.
What’s more, there have been shortages of the gloves, masks and other personal protective equipment that can protect medical staff from becoming infected with the virus.
“Even in dedicated Ebola wards, personal protective equipment is often scarce or not being properly used,” the agency said.
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