Dr. Danielle Perreault is a physician from Montreal. She has returned home after a completing a four-week mission to fight Ebola in Sierra Leone. We wanted to share some of her impressions from her time working at the Red Cross Ebola treatment centre in Kenema. You can also listen to this interview with Dr. Perreault about her experience (in French).
Arrival in Kenema (December 2014)
The apprehension I’ve felt these last few days has been replaced by thorough relief. The medical team here, with members from 10 countries, was very welcoming — and especially so when they learned all six of us had lost our luggage when we travelled through Casablanca. However, the people of Sierra Leone have lost much more than me. No tears will be shed over the loss of my favourite shampoo and underwear!
Because no new cases have been reported in the district, the market has reopened. In the morning, I go on the hunt for new shampoo and am welcomed by everyone. Only one woman takes the precaution of dropping my change into my hand instead of touching me. She no doubt suspects that I work for “Ebola.”
Rosaline, an English colleague, shows me the ropes at the treatment centre. I feel like I’m back in elementary school and starting back at square one. I learn how to set patients up in their tents, check whether they are thirsty, uncomfortable, or in pain, and understand who does what and when. I am grateful to the local staff, who help me to dress properly and remove all the equipment calmly and step-by-step.
One of our patients is Sayah, a 9-year-old who arrives in poor condition, dehydrated and half-conscious. He had to ride in the back of an ambulance travelling over mountain roads, without air conditioning, for five hours. He improves slightly after being given a solution but the outlook is bleak.
On a happier note, Mary, a nurse from Kono who was infected caring for people from her town, is pronounced cured. She is as thrilled as can be. After what we call “the happy shower,” I ask her how she feels. She looks into the sky and thanks God for protecting her. Three of her colleagues have died.
Read more inspiring stories of Red Cross aid workers involved in the Ebola response.