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Ebola crisis: British army medics travel to West Africa Ebola crisis: British army medics travel to West Africa
(about 1 hour later)
British army medics are on their way to West Africa to help in the fight against the deadly Ebola virus.British army medics are on their way to West Africa to help in the fight against the deadly Ebola virus.
A total of 91 medics from 22 Field Hospital in Aldershot will run a field hospital in Sierra Leone, providing medical support to healthcare workers. A team of 91 medics from 22 Field Hospital in Aldershot will run a hospital in Sierra Leone, set aside for healthcare workers who risk infection.
Lieutenant Colonel Alison McCourt said doctors, nurses and infectious disease consultants would run the unit "specifically for healthcare workers". The nurses, doctors and infectious disease consultants will join 40 soldiers already in the West African country.
Ebola has killed more than 4,500 people, nearly all in West Africa.Ebola has killed more than 4,500 people, nearly all in West Africa.
Lt Col McCourt said: "We need to provide sufficient reassurance to healthcare workers that will encourage them to come and help defeat this disease." The British medics are travelling ahead of the departure of Royal Navy ship the RFA Argus on Friday.
Army personnel, who will be based at Kerrytown, around 30 miles from Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, received nine days of intensive training in treating those affected with the disease. It is expected to reach the area by the end of the month with a further 225 military personnel from a total planned deployment of 750.
Those travelling on Thursday are usually based at Normandy Barracks in Aldershot and will join 40 UK soldiers already in Sierra Leone. It comes as the World Health Organization said a major outbreak of the deadly virus in the US and elsewhere in the West was unlikely given the strong health systems there.
The US is also investigating how a nurse infected when treating a victim in Texas was allowed to travel on a plane.
'Defeat this disease'
The UK army personnel, who will be based at Kerrytown, around 30 miles from Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, received nine days of intensive training in treating those affected with the disease.
Those travelling on Thursday are usually based at Normandy Barracks in Aldershot.
The treatment unit will contain 12 beds and run alongside a facility which will eventually be run by Save the Children.The treatment unit will contain 12 beds and run alongside a facility which will eventually be run by Save the Children.
Lieutenant Colonel Alison McCourt said: "We need to provide sufficient reassurance to healthcare workers that will encourage them to come and help defeat this disease."