Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,140,494 members, 7,770,208 topics. Date: Tuesday, 19 March 2024 at 07:30 AM

Sierra Leonan Top Ebola Doctor dies From The Disease while saving Ebola victims - Health - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Health / Sierra Leonan Top Ebola Doctor dies From The Disease while saving Ebola victims (1215 Views)

Lagos Doctor Dies After Attending To Patient (photo) / Ebola Victims Now Stable, Five Showing Signs Of Recovery - Fashola / Nigerian Female Doctor Dies Of Ebola (2) (3) (4)

(1) (Reply) (Go Down)

Sierra Leonan Top Ebola Doctor dies From The Disease while saving Ebola victims by chibecanglobal(m): 8:17pm On Jul 29, 2014
Sierra Leone’s top doctor fighting an
outbreak of Ebola has died from the
virus, the country’s chief medical
officer, Brima Kargbo, said on
Tuesday reports Reuters.
Sheik Umar Khan, who was credited
with treating more than 100
patients, was infected with Ebola
this month and had been moved to
a treatment ward run by medical
charity Medecins Sans Frontieres in
the far north of the country.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/sierra-leones-top-ebola-doctor-dies-from-virus/
Re: Sierra Leonan Top Ebola Doctor dies From The Disease while saving Ebola victims by sigmundfreud(m): 8:26pm On Jul 29, 2014
...so sad. sad
Someone should come with a cure fast!
Re: Sierra Leonan Top Ebola Doctor dies From The Disease while saving Ebola victims by faithugo64(f): 8:31pm On Jul 29, 2014
sad news, o lord please let this deadly virus hit shekau and his brothers(boko haram)
Re: Sierra Leonan Top Ebola Doctor dies From The Disease while saving Ebola victims by Tucees(f): 8:37pm On Jul 29, 2014
Service to humanity! Rip sir.
Re: Sierra Leonan Top Ebola Doctor dies From The Disease while saving Ebola victims by nora544: 8:46pm On Jul 29, 2014


The top doctor treating patients infected with the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone has died from the disease, officials have confirmed.


Dr Sheik Umar Khan had been hospitalised in quarantine since he contracted the virus last week. The virologist was credited with treating more than 100 patients at the hospital in Kenema - one of the world’s leading Ebola diagnosis facilities.


The current outbreak is the largest in history, so far killing more than 672 people across West Africa since the outbreak began in February, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Nations affected include Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria.

Dr Khan's death on Tuesday afternoon was confirmed by chief medical officer Dr Brima Kargbo, who had previously hailed him as a "national hero" when she announced he had contracted the the disease.

"It is a big and irreparable loss to Sierra Leone as he was the only specialist the country had in viral haemorrhagic fevers," Kargbo said on Tuesday.

Dr Khan was being treated at an Ebola ward run by the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, which has in recent weeks described the disease’s West African outbreak as "out of control".

An ebola Virus. (AP) An ebola Virus. (AP)
At the time of his diagnosis, it was not immediately clear how Dr Khan became infected. While health workers are especially vulnerable to contracting the virus spread through bodily fluids such as saliva, sweat, blood and urine, Reuters reporters who visited Kenema in June heard the doctor was “always meticulous with protection, wearing overalls, mask, gloves and special footwear”.

Before his diagnosis, Dr Khan told reporters: "I am afraid for my life, I must say, because I cherish my life."

"Health workers are prone to the disease because we are the first port of call for somebody who is sickened by disease. Even with the full protective clothing you put on, you are at risk," he added.

The confirmation of Dr Khan's death came as two American health workers were being treated for Ebola at a hospital in neighboring Liberia.

Health workers have become increasingly frustrated by the outbreak that has killed dozens of their colleagues. Last week, dozens of nurses at the Kenema facility staged a strike after three colleagues died, BBC News reported.

Despite international help ranging from doctors to safety equipment, weak health systems in affected countries are struggling to contain the disease.

Medical prepare to bring food to patients kept in an isolation area at a treatment centre in Kailahun, Sierra Leone. (Reuters) Medical prepare to bring food to patients kept in an isolation area at a treatment centre in Kailahun, Sierra Leone. (Reuters)
Efforts are further hindered by the fact the disease has no vaccine and no specific treatment. The current outbreak has a fatality rate of at least 60 percent, but it can reach as high as 90 percent.

In an attempt to control the virus in Liberia, police officers have been deployed to the nation's international airport to ensure passengers are screened for symptoms.

Earlier on Tuesday, the West African airline Asky had suspended flights to and from Sierra Leone and Liberia. Tensions in the region were heightened last Friday by the first death in Nigeria's coastal city of Lagos, home to 21 million people.

The fatality was a 40-year-old American man of Liberian descent who worked for the West African nation's Finance Ministry. He had taken several flights on ASKY Airlines. At the time, Liberian authorities said they had not been requiring health checks of departing passengers in Monrovia.

"We have a presence of the police at the airport to enforce what we're doing," said Binyah Kesselly, chairman of the Liberia Airport Authority board. "So if you have a flight and you are not complying with the rules, we will not allow you to board."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/ebola-virus-top-sierra-leone-doctor-shek-umar-dies-of-disease-9636406.html
Re: Sierra Leonan Top Ebola Doctor dies From The Disease while saving Ebola victims by Dubby6(m): 8:56pm On Jul 29, 2014
faithugo64: sad news, o lord please let this deadly virus hit shekau and his brothers(boko haram)

If e hit them, na im b say d tin don hit Naija well cos i knw say them go spread am like gospel
Re: Sierra Leonan Top Ebola Doctor dies From The Disease while saving Ebola victims by Dclique(m): 9:05pm On Jul 29, 2014
So sad. May God rest his soul
Re: Sierra Leonan Top Ebola Doctor dies From The Disease while saving Ebola victims by chibecanglobal(m): 9:56pm On Jul 29, 2014
scary!!!

(1) (Reply)

Ebola In Yoruba Language / Nma, Johesu And Common Sense / E.histolytica Causes Erectile Dysfunction?

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 18
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.