Katherine Mueller is a Canadian aid worker with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Africa and was deployed to Sierra Leone to support the Red Cross response to the Ebola virus disease outbreak. Katherine discusses her experiences in a place of great need and hope.
I have been to Sierra Leone twice, once in July and then again in September and October. My mission was to get the word out about the needs on the ground, the gaps that still exist and to make sure that the people who need the support are getting what they need.
The Red Cross has very strict
protocols to ensure the safety of personnel. There is a certain order in which everything happens, procedures for putting on the personal protective equipment and the use of a buddy system to ensure no step is missed.
However, the situation in West Africa is very challenging. There are great needs for physical and human resources. We need a constant supply of personal protective equipment and we need to have the financial resources available to raise awareness about how the Ebola virus spreads. Education is key so people can have a fighting chance.
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Katherine Mueller standing in the low risk area inside the Ebola treatment centre in Kenema, Sierra Leone. Behind her is the tent where health care workers take off their personal protective equipment.
As the Red Cross responds to the Ebola outbreak, we work closely with the affected communities. For example, burial teams go into communities when there is a death to meet with the village leaders and explain what is going to happen and what they are going to do. If they were to go in protection suits and just take away bodies, it would scare the community. The team explains what they are doing and then proceeds with disinfecting and safely burying the deceased. The burial teams invite the families to watch the burials from a safe distance so families can see their family members treated with respect and dignity.
In September, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies opened an Ebola treatment centre in Kenema, which is one of the hardest hit areas in Sierra Leone. The hospital has the capacity for 60 patients, and we are close to operating at capacity, but there remains the constant challenge of ensuring enough staff are on hand to operate it 24/7. With staff rotating out every 4 to 6 weeks, there is an ongoing need for staffing. Red Cross is
actively recruiting international healthcare workers to work alongside local nurses and other personnel to provide care for people affected by Ebola.
Being at the treatment centre was a roller coaster of emotions. I witnessed people passing away from Ebola but I also saw people being discharged. Some patients were doing really well and, if they were strong enough, they would dance and sing along to Michael Jackson songs. I met one woman named Haja who had a fighting spirit from the start and survived. I met up with her in Freetown at her house after she was discharged. She has now joined the Red Cross to help others affected by Ebola by joining a team of contact tracers who follow up with people who might have come into contact with an infected person. Those really are positive moments, signs of hope amidst this unprecedented Ebola outbreak.
Haja won her fight against Ebola and is now a member of the Sierra Leone Red Cross contact tracing team.
Canadians can help by donating to the
West Africa Ebola Fund.
Send a message to Red Cross aid workers
Canadian Red Cross aid workers will continue to care for people affected by Ebola in Sierra Leone throughout the holiday season. We invite our readers to leave a message for them in the comment section below. The Red Cross will share these messages with aid workers who are spending time away from family and friends in order to help stop the spread of Ebola. Please post your message below by December 5th, 2014.