Training: complete.
In the final day training, we were given more information and details on the medical, social, cultural, economic and practical impacts of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and specifically in Sierra Leone . More time was also spent in the PPE (yours truly in the photo below) where we were walked through the protocols for receiving patients to the centre by ambulance and through the steps involved with Safe and Dignified Burials. Both of these processes are highly complex and meticulous as they both present a very high risk of contamination.
As a side note: my mom wanted to know if wearing the suits induces any claustrophobic reactions (something I had also wondered before trying it on). For me…luckily… it didn't. In fact, it felt a lot like getting all dressed up to hit the slopes…only no skis…and no slopes. In the cool climate of Switzerland, the only challenge was that the goggles fogged up so much that you could barely see anything. Fortunately, this won't be a problem in Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, the heat will be. This time of year, the temperature ranges between 30 and 35 degrees, which means that too much time spent in these suits can mean a serious risk of dehydration. As such, there is a strict 1 hour maximum policy for time spent in the suits. I’ve been told that when people remove the equipment, not only are they soaked through to the bone, but some say that they can pour half a litre of sweat from their boots...that’s how hot it is inside these things. Becoming dehydrated and over-tired while in the High Risk zone [where people that are confirmed or suspected to have Ebola are cared for] can lead to mistakes and errors in judgement that you simply cannot afford to make. ...
...did I just quote Tyra Banks? Well, she makes a good point.
Moving on.
So with the training complete, I boarded the plane from Geneva to Casablanca on Saturday afternoon in the very good company of other Red Cross delegates from Norway, Spain and Germany. Unfortunately, we now have a six hour layover in Casablanca, and something tells me that it is going to feel like six hours. The Casablanca airport is smoke-friendly...very smoke-friendly. We are set to board our last leg of the journey at 23:30, arriving at our destination at 4:00, and let me tell ya, it can't come fast enough. *cough, cough*
Next stop: Freetown.
Thanks for reading,
lj
ps. If anyone has any questions about anything I write here (or forget to write about), just leave me a comment or message me and I'll be happy to do what I can to answer it.