Inside an Ebola Clinic in West Africa | National Geographic

this is the front gate of the facility

this is the front gate of the facility and so this is where things sort of

and so this is where things sort of

and so this is where things sort of start you take patients that either walk

start you take patients that either walk

start you take patients that either walk in or that are brought in by ambulance

in or that are brought in by ambulance

in or that are brought in by ambulance people that are you know at the end of

people that are you know at the end of

people that are you know at the end of end of the disease course that are dying

end of the disease course that are dying

end of the disease course that are dying or dead families whole families that

or dead families whole families that

or dead families whole families that come in all of that we see it here some

come in all of that we see it here some

come in all of that we see it here some of the children that are negative that

of the children that are negative that

of the children that are negative that are waiting for a place you go after

are waiting for a place you go after

are waiting for a place you go after they’ve been released we have about 60

they’ve been released we have about 60

they’ve been released we have about 60 beds available right now we have

beds available right now we have

beds available right now we have somewhere on the order of 40 or so

somewhere on the order of 40 or so

somewhere on the order of 40 or so patients 40 to 50 and so if you imagine

patients 40 to 50 and so if you imagine

patients 40 to 50 and so if you imagine you’re going to round on 40 or 50

you’re going to round on 40 or 50

you’re going to round on 40 or 50 patients and you’re going to do that in

patients and you’re going to do that in

patients and you’re going to do that in an hour and a half you get about a

an hour and a half you get about a

an hour and a half you get about a minute and a half to expiration so these

minute and a half to expiration so these

minute and a half to expiration so these are our decontaminated decontamination

are our decontaminated decontamination

are our decontaminated decontamination stations

stations

stations what they’ve done is they basically

what they’ve done is they basically

what they’ve done is they basically piped chlorinated water throughout the

piped chlorinated water throughout the

piped chlorinated water throughout the facility so what you can see is that we

facility so what you can see is that we

facility so what you can see is that we have spigots all throughout the facility

have spigots all throughout the facility

have spigots all throughout the facility where you need to get one zero five

where you need to get one zero five

where you need to get one zero five percent bleed or 0.5% bleed this

percent bleed or 0.5% bleed this

percent bleed or 0.5% bleed this environment I consider it be an

environment I consider it be an

environment I consider it be an extremely safe environment this is all

extremely safe environment this is all

extremely safe environment this is all predictable for me you know I know

predictable for me you know I know

predictable for me you know I know what’s going on with myself in there I

what’s going on with myself in there I

what’s going on with myself in there I know what I feel very comfortable and

know what I feel very comfortable and

know what I feel very comfortable and safe with the processes of coming out of

safe with the processes of coming out of

safe with the processes of coming out of there we have about a forty percent

there we have about a forty percent

there we have about a forty percent survival rate forty percent is pretty

survival rate forty percent is pretty

survival rate forty percent is pretty decent for what’s out there you’re going

decent for what’s out there you’re going

decent for what’s out there you’re going to be under physical and emotional

to be under physical and emotional

to be under physical and emotional stress the physical stress being in the

stress the physical stress being in the

stress the physical stress being in the PP doing the work the emotional stress

PP doing the work the emotional stress

PP doing the work the emotional stress associated with the nature of the

associated with the nature of the

associated with the nature of the patients that we see we had a mom come

patients that we see we had a mom come

patients that we see we had a mom come in

in

in was pregnant and she was bleeding and

was pregnant and she was bleeding and

was pregnant and she was bleeding and what we know about women that have Ebola

what we know about women that have Ebola

what we know about women that have Ebola is that it would be rare for them to

is that it would be rare for them to

is that it would be rare for them to have a viable baby

have a viable baby

have a viable baby we delivered her her baby she had a lot

we delivered her her baby she had a lot

we delivered her her baby she had a lot of bleeding and she didn’t make it the

of bleeding and she didn’t make it the

of bleeding and she didn’t make it the baby didn’t make it days like that they

baby didn’t make it days like that they

baby didn’t make it days like that they come they’re not infrequent what I’m

come they’re not infrequent what I’m

come they’re not infrequent what I’m used to doing is addressing an

used to doing is addressing an

used to doing is addressing an individual patient and doing everything

individual patient and doing everything

individual patient and doing everything I can to give that person the greatest

I can to give that person the greatest

I can to give that person the greatest chance of living I can’t do that here

chance of living I can’t do that here

chance of living I can’t do that here it’s a different mentality obviously the

it’s a different mentality obviously the

it’s a different mentality obviously the world has not seen Ebola outbreaks of

world has not seen Ebola outbreaks of

world has not seen Ebola outbreaks of this magnitude before certainly the

this magnitude before certainly the

this magnitude before certainly the first time that I’ve been working with

first time that I’ve been working with

first time that I’ve been working with Ebola I’ve worked in other two

Ebola I’ve worked in other two

Ebola I’ve worked in other two resource-poor settings

working with infectious diseases plague

working with infectious diseases plague in Madagascar and done some work in Peru

in Madagascar and done some work in Peru

in Madagascar and done some work in Peru but you know none of that really

but you know none of that really

but you know none of that really compares to what’s going on here with

compares to what’s going on here with

compares to what’s going on here with people

people

people need to be able to reduce the stigma

need to be able to reduce the stigma

need to be able to reduce the stigma associated with this disease because

associated with this disease because

associated with this disease because even people that are cured or negative

even people that are cured or negative

even people that are cured or negative the home in our review rejected from

the home in our review rejected from

the home in our review rejected from their community we get them back a lot

their community we get them back a lot

their community we get them back a lot of work to be done getting the people

of work to be done getting the people

of work to be done getting the people that are sick and nine out of their

that are sick and nine out of their

that are sick and nine out of their homes we need to get them out of the

homes we need to get them out of the

homes we need to get them out of the community we need to have outreach to be

community we need to have outreach to be

community we need to have outreach to be able to get them into facilities like

able to get them into facilities like

able to get them into facilities like this and then we need to be able to

this and then we need to be able to

this and then we need to be able to build up from the base so that we can

build up from the base so that we can

build up from the base so that we can address the things that are contributing

address the things that are contributing

address the things that are contributing to mortality building up so that we’re

to mortality building up so that we’re

to mortality building up so that we’re able to provide that level of care for

able to provide that level of care for

able to provide that level of care for the folks that are here for the greatest

the folks that are here for the greatest

the folks that are here for the greatest number of people and getting this thing

number of people and getting this thing

number of people and getting this thing under control