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You would think one would be running away from death. But for this trio, service beyond self is what drives them to confront an outbreak that has so far killed about 8,000 people and left 20,000 infected.
Even the myths and misconceptions that abound on this disease will not deter them.
Angela Mbogho, 50, a nurse, says her decision to volunteer to go to Sierra Leone and Liberia where Ebola continues to puzzle health experts, was anchored on passion and dedication to her career.
“Our colleagues in West Africa are overwhelmed by the Ebola outbreak and it would be prudent to respond to their call for professional help at this opportune time,” Ms Mbogho told The Standard on Saturday during the pre-deployment training of the African Union Kenyan delegation held at Panafric Hotel, Nairobi.
Mbogho is one of the 170 health workers comprising doctors, clinical officers, public health officers and laboratory technicians who flew out yesterday for the six-month mission under an agreement between the AU and the Kenya government.
Under the AU Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA), the health workers upon arrival to the respective countries, will receive two-week training before embarking on three working sessions each comprising six weeks each with one week break at the end of each session.
According to sources privy to the deployment terms, the health workers will each be paid a monthly salary of between USD 3,700 and 5,000 while meals and accommodation will be provided. The 170 workers will be deployed in equal numbers to the two affected countries. The health workers are bonded from communicating with external persons and institutions, including the media during this period of secondment and in the event the agreement will be terminated, a one-month notice in writing should be served. At the end of the mission, the workers will be observed for a mandatory 21 days before they are released for return to Kenya in July.
The mother of four aged between 17 and 13, says her family has been supportive since she was picked to be part of the 170 health workers deployed to West Africa.
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“My youngest child aged 13, was shocked that I would risk my life to travel to an area that she has been watching in the news, but I assured her that nursing is a vocation where those called to a mission, dedicate their lives to help,” she said.
Assurance
Mbogho is grateful her husband has provided psychological support through the assurance that he will look after their young family while she is away for six months.
Rhoda Wanja,28, terms the mission to West Africa as discipleship in response to a professional call for help from her West Africa counterparts. Having trained and registered as a community health nurse with experience in the private sector, Wanja is confident a solution to end the Ebola crisis will be found soon.
“If the health workers are stigmatised, who will treat, take care and contain this disease that threatens to curtail human survival,” she said. Dr Mwaniki Collins, 27, a medical officer at Pumwani Maternity Hospital, has also taken a six months break to serve in the mission to West Africa.
“I was motivated to apply as a volunteer due to the urge to respond to humanitarian crisis and, especially within a field that I have been ably trained in,” Dr Mwaniki told The Standard on Saturday.
At the pre-deployment brief, Director of Medical Services Nicholas Muraguri, Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and his Foreign Affairs counterpart Ambassador Amina Mohammed, congratulated the health workers for their selflessness to assist in the West Africa crisis. Dr Muraguri christened the 170 health workers ‘heroes’ adding that a brother’s cry for help should be duly responded to by siblings neighbouring them.
Mr Macharia said Kenya was the first country, in the East African Community, to send health workers to West Africa and was optimistic other member states will follow suit.
“We are extremely proud of your sacrifice and dedication to help our continent,” Macharia said. “In both countries, you will not only see the challenges we face as Africa, but also appreciate that we have a diverse and beautiful continent made up of people with indomitable spirits,” Amb Amina said.
“We are Africans who are stronger when we work together,” she added. The volunteers under the AU will work in response to the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in West Africa under ASEOWA.
The 170 volunteer health workers left for the two countries on chartered airplanes yesterday.
ASEOWA is expected to enhance both national and international response mechanisms of the disease through mobilisation of technical expertise, resources, political and financial support.
Through the ASEOWA arrangement, the volunteers drawn from various African countries, are expected to complement the efforts of ongoing humanitarian assistance and coordinate support provided to the affected member states, and also support public awareness and preventive measures across Africa and specifically in the affected region.
Other countries in talks with the AU to deploy volunteer health workers include Rwanda, Uganda, Namibia and South Africa. Ethiopia and Nigeria have already sent response teams.
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