African nations have been stepping up their efforts to fight the outbreak of Ebola. Kenya sent hundreds of health workers to the Ebola-affected West Africa. CCTV America’s Robert Nagila caught up with one of them.
Physician David Wasambla, 40, is one of the 315 health workers heading to West Africa. This group forms the bulk of the 600 health care workers sent by East Africa nations to the other side of the continent. When Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta called for volunteers, this Nairobi doctor did not hesitate.
“I asked myself two weeks ago, what if it was us who had Ebola, God Forbid. What if it was Kenya? Wouldn’t we be praying for someone to come to our aid?, ” said Wasambla.
But it’s certainly not an easy choice. His immediate concern was for his wife and two young children.
“It was scary but she is a nurse and she said if you feel you need to go and help, this is part of what we do as humanitarians. Do your thing, go and help your fellow Africans,” he says.
Data: WHO
Some concerns have been raised over a lack of Ebola-specific training. But Wasambla disagrees.
“This is what we were trained for, the basics of infectious diseases and scenarios, the next step is a refresher course and specifically what we need to handle Ebola,” he said.
The response to the government’s request for volunteers has been overwhelming. Officials at the Ministry of Health in Kenya told CCTV America that over 100 healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, and clinical officers have volunteered their services. After training, they will have between 48 hours and two weeks to report to their posts.
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