US Army to build more Ebola treatment units in West Africa

Ebola Outbreak

One major hurdle to containing Ebola has been getting victims the care they need. There’s a severe shortage of hospital bed space in West Africa. CCTV America’s Hendrik Sybrandy reports on what the U.S. Army is doing to change that.

At Fort Carson, Colorado, members of the U.S. Army’s 615th Engineer Company stand ready for deployment to a part of the world they’ve never been: Liberia.

They packed up some very important items, like J-List gear. J-list is short for Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology, also known as personal protective gear.

For the past three weeks, soldiers at Fort Carson have been training on how to avoid getting the Ebola virus during their upcoming mission.

A total of 150 engineers will be stationed outside of Monrovia, Liberia, building medical treatment units for Ebola patients. Ebola patients often have to be cared for at home because of a lack of hospitals in the country.

The soldiers will be in more rural areas, away from the patient population. They will also have frequent practice sessions.

The soldiers will leave for Liberia sometime in November and stay between nine to 12 weeks, perhaps longer. Once they’re back, their temperature will be checked twice a day for 21 days — the incubation period for the Ebola virus.


Ebola crisis leads to halt in education in Liberia

Liberia shut down all schools in June to try to contain the spread of Ebola. There’s no word on when they will reopen.

Parents are worried about the effect lengthy school closures will have on their children’s education. CCTV America’s Katerina Vittozzi reports.