A Sierra Leonean doctor died of Ebola on
Tuesday, a medical source said, bringing to seven
the number of doctors killed by the virus savaging
the nation’s healthcare system.
Still recovering from years of conflict, Sierra
Leone has seen at least 128 of its health
personnel infected by Ebola as staff working in
general wards and special treatment centres have
been exposed to the disease, Reuters says.
“Dr. Michael Kargbo died this afternoon,” a senior
health worker at the Hastings Treatment Center
in the outskirts of Freetown, told Reuters.
However, there was no official comment on the
matter.
It was not clear how Kargbo, a 64-year-old
dermatologist working at the Magburaka
Government Hospital, was infected with Ebola as
he was not serving in a frontline Ebola treatment
unit.
All seven Sierra Leonean doctors who have
contracted Ebola have died.
Kargbo’s death comes a day after Dr. Martin
Salia died in the United States after being
evacuated from Sierra Leone for treatment.
The worst Ebola outbreak on record has killed
over 5,000 people, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and
Sierra Leone. Mali is facing a new wave of cases
but Senegal and Nigeria have successfully
contained outbreaks.
Having been the worst affected nation, Liberia has
seen the number of Ebola cases ease off and
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has set a goal
having no new cases by December 25.
However, United Nations’ officials say the disease
is advancing rapidly in Sierra Leone, where there
is a lack of treatment centres.
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