A British doctor working in Sierra Leone has described the horror he and his team have witnessed since the deadly Ebola outbreak struck.
Dr Oliver Johnson, along with a team of British medics, was working to strengthen the health system in the country’s capital Freetown when the crisis took hold earlier.
When disaster struck, they decided to stay and ‘do everything they could’ to help – despite health workers being among those most at risk of contracting the virus.
Today, Dr Johnson, 28, described the crippling conditions the team work in – and the opposition they face from locals who believe the disease may be a government conspiracy.
He said: ‘We’re all aware that there is a risk and that we have to be extremely careful. However, we also know that if we wear the protective equipment properly and follow the protocols then we’ll be OK.
‘That doesn’t leave room for error, however – such as an accidental scratch of the face or forgotten hand wash.
‘As we get used to it, we all begin to relax – the risk then is making sure that you don’t cut corners or get too confident.’
But he admitted the working conditions wearing the suits were far from anything the team had experienced before.
“I first wore the protective suits during a bit of an emergency, so didn’t have much time to reflect on it.”
Read the full story at The Daily Mail.
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