Ebola Doctor Shortage Eases as Volunteers Step Forward

[MineralMan]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/27/health/Ebola-Doctor-Shortage-Eases-as-Volunteers-Begin-to-Step-Forward.html?_r=0

Doctors and nurses are finally volunteering to fight the Ebola virus in West Africa after a long period of paralyzing fear in which almost none stepped forward.

But, experts say, even though money is now pouring in from the World Bank, the Gates Foundation and elsewhere, and the United States Army is to start erecting field hospitals soon, there is likely to be a long gap before those hospitals can be fully staffed to care for the growing numbers of people with Ebola.

“As a result, thousands of people will die,” said Dr. Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders, which treats more patients than any other entity. “I can’t say the exact figure because we don’t know how many unreported cases there are. But thousands for sure.”

USAID is accepting applications for health care workers who are willing to go to West Africa to help, too.
http://www.usaid.gov/ebola/volunteers

Now, for those who are suggesting that travel from there be cut off, what about these good folks who are willing to go and risk their lives to help Ebola victims? Do we block their return, too. I mean, they might bring Ebola back after being stupid enough to go there to help sick people, right? Should we just force them to stay there indefinitely?

Some forks don't appear to be thinking of anyone but themselves, it seems. I'm not sure that's a good thing, you know...

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Cuba is coming thru in a big way:

In the medical response to Ebola, Cuba is punching far above its weight/Washington Post.

On Thursday, 165 health professionals from the country arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to join the fight against Ebola – the largest medical team of any single foreign nation, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). And after being trained to deal with Ebola, a further 296 Cuban doctors and nurses will go to Liberia and Guinea, the other two countries worst hit by the crisis.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025633578