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NAIROBI, KENYA: The final logistics for volunteers to serve in Ebola-affected countries will be worked out tomorrow at an emergency regional meeting in Nairobi.
The meeting to involve Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, will decide the type of workers required, how much they will be paid, the insurance package and whether they will be on United Nations or Africa Union remuneration terms.
A notice sent out to participants also indicates the meeting will decide how many workers each country will provide and where they will be trained before leaving for duty.
"The group will also come up with a contingency plan for emergency evacuation of health workers in the event of acute illness or Ebola infection," says the notice.
Wednesday, Director of Medical Services Nicholas Muraguri said so far 600 Kenyan health workers have applied to join the Ebola volunteer initiative and more are expected to apply after two union leaders gave their blessing to the mission.
On Tuesday, Moses Lorre and Victor Ngani, chairmen of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union and Association of Kenya Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers respectively, asked health staff to join the mission.
PROTECTIVE GEAR
However, they said those to join must do so voluntarily, must be trained, issued WITH protective gear and adequately insured.
"Ebola is a serious virus but as health workers we must be ready to save lives while stopping the disease at the source could reduce the possibility of it being imported into our country," Ngani said during Tuesday's KTN Morning Express show.
Wednesday, Muraguri said those going on the proposed mission would be adequately trained, kitted and insured, especially following an assurance from the World Bank indicating its willingness to pick some of the bills.
But still the deployment of the Kenyan volunteers could still be weeks, if not months away, considering more meetings will have to be held, training and administrative logistics worked out.
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